Saratoga News
News
Business will be picking up for postal carriers
By Mary Gottschalk
Letter carriers in the Saratoga neighborhoods are hoping to pick up more than they deliver on May 13.
The second Saturday in May is the date for the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive, the largest one-day food drive in the United States. Participating is simple, says Lynn Crocker, director of communications for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
"Any resident can set out a bag of groceries by their mailbox. They don't need to take it anywhere," Crocker says.
"The postal carriers are doing their regular route but also picking up food. It's quite a bit of work for them and extra weight. We do appreciate their work."
Tony Cortese, president of Branch 193 of the National Association of Letter Carriers, says it hopes to top the 177,000 pounds of food collected in 2004 and 2005. Branch 193 includes some 1,400 members working in San Jose, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Milpitas.
Donations in the Saratoga area have been decreasing. In 2004, local carriers collected 10,300 pounds, but in 2005 it dropped to 8,607 pounds.
"We're looking for this being a big food- drive year," Cortese says. "We think people realize there are a lot less fortunate people than them. With what they've seen of the different disasters this last year, I think people will be generous."
As in past years, Cortese says, volunteers from the Teamsters Union will drive trucks moving the collected food from the various post offices to Second Harvest locations.
Additionally, Local 270 of the Laborers Union donates advertising.
The timing of the food drive is important, say both Cortese and Crocker.
"This time of year many people don't think of food drives, but a lot of people are hurting financially now. It's tough out there on a lot of people," Cortese says.
Crocker concurs.
"This comes at a really good time of year," she says. "We've used most of the food and money we collected during our holiday food drive, so we need to collect this additional food to get through the summer months.
"A lot of children receive breakfast, snacks and lunch in school programs, but when school is out, they don't receive those meal supplements. Their parents need to make up those meals so there's an extra demand for food for children in the summer. "
While all donations are welcome, Crocker says most needed are high-protein items like canned tuna and canned meats, chili or stew, peanut butter, rice, dried beans, powdered milk, pasta and 100-percent-fruit juices. For children, low-sugar cereals are always needed.
Items with pop-top lids are set aside for homeless clients who don't have access to kitchen facilities. The only unwelcome food items are those that are perishable or in glass containers. There is too great a chance of breakage with glass.
Crocker says that between Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Second Harvest is now serving an average of 156,000 people a month.
