Postal service aids the hungry

15th annual food drive is May 12

The U.S. Postal Service is making it easy for residents to help the needy in their community with the 15th annual food drive — the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

Every individual with a mailbox is invited to set out non-perishable food Saturday, May 12. Later, each mail carrier will deliver the items to a local food bank.

“Many children eat breakfast and lunch at school during the year and then have nothing to replace it when school lets out,” Dennis Kennedy, branch manager for the West Bloomfield post office, said. “This food drive fills the cupboards for the summer months.”

Kennedy added that donated food would also go to the elderly, because those on fixed incomes are hard-pressed to cope with the rising cost of basic necessities, he said.

Items such as canned tuna fish and chicken and peanut butter are most helpful, he said, but any canned or boxed food item will be accepted.

“If we can get everyone to give something we’ll make a huge difference in the lives of families in our community,” Kennedy said. “We’ll make sure to stamp out hunger.”