Letter carriers deliver nearly 21,000 pounds of food to Hospitality House

NOVI — Letter carriers from the Walled Lake Post Office were among the millions of letter carriers across the country working to Stamp Out Hunger on May 10 as part of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual food drive.

The Walled Lake letter carriers put in long hours on Saturday, collecting nonperishable food items from customers on their routes and then delivering them to Hospitality House, a food pantry in Commerce Township.

Tavares Anderson, 50, of West Bloomfield, said that his route, which services Fox Run Senior Living along with some other neighborhoods in Novi, takes about two hours longer as he makes sure to locate and pick up all the food his customers put out. He said people tend to leave them in varying spots near their mailboxes, as well as in the mailboxes.

“It’s a longer day than normal,” he said.

Taylor Morris, 32, who works with Anderson on the Fox Run route, said that the senior living community does a fantastic job of accumulating donations for the can drive. He said it’s just an “insane” number of cans that they collect at Fox Run alone. He said it’s overwhelming to know that they are helping many people who are suffering from food shortages.

”I’m blessed to be on this route and be surrounded by people who are so caring and giving,” Morris said.

“I just love the fact that it gives us the opportunity to give back to everybody,” said Morris, of Southfield. “The outpouring of love and support that everybody gives is just incredible to me every year. Usually, I’m not a big fan of working Saturdays, but this is one Saturday I don’t mind coming into work for sure.”

For letter carrier Tracey Pinion, 53, of Commerce Township, the annual event has become a family affair. Pinion’s twin daughters, Amber and Nicole, 26, with the help of Pinion’s mom, Darlene Chruscial, of Wixom, have been assisting Pinion during the food drive since they were in junior high, when they needed to get volunteer hours for school, and they liked it so much that they have continued the tradition. Chruscial and the twins follow behind Pinion, and the twins will hop out and grab the cans and load them into the car.

This year they had so many cans that the back of Chruscial’s Subaru Forester was full, Chruscial said.

Chruscial said that she has always donated to Hospitality House, and anytime she gets to spend time with her children and grandchildren is wonderful.

“What could be better than spending time with my family and helping Hospitality House,” Chruscial said.

“I’ve always been a believer that wherever I put my time or my money into something, I want it to do the most good, and, I mean, food everybody needs. And we all know somebody who has went through bad times and stuff, so I think it’s a very honorable thing to do,’ Chruscial said.

Pinion said the drive is so important to them that she takes part in the event every year, even if it is her day off.

“I’ve known quite a few people who need help. So anytime I can help, I would like to help,” Pinion said.

“It’s fun,” Nicole Pinion said as to why she continues to volunteer year after year. “It helps out other people and it helps out my mom.”

As of 6 p.m. May 12, the carriers had delivered 20,560 pounds of food to the pantry, more than 2,000 pounds more than last year, with more items still expected to come in, according to Susan Erspamer, executive director of Hospitality House. She said that is enough food to feed the 5,000 people that the pantry currently serves for approximately two months.

“I tell you our pantry is stocked to the gills,” Erspamer said after receiving the donations.

“This Stamp Out Hunger (campaign) means a lot to us,’ she said. “It’s when the community comes together like this to support us that we can continue doing what we do.”

Hospitality House is a no-borders pantry, meaning that anyone who needs assistance is welcome, regardless of where they live. It offers assistance in a client choice format where customers are able to go “shopping” in the pantry and pick out the items that they like. Erspamer said this food drive helps Hospitality House to provide a variety of choices for clients.

Hospitality House is always in need of volunteers to assist with various jobs within the operation, including stocking shelves, rescuing food from stores and restaurants that would otherwise go to waste, and helping customers shop in the pantry. Donations of food and household/personal items are always welcome as well. Those in need of services, or interested in volunteering or to make a donation, should contact Erspamer at (248) 960-9975 or email her at susan@hhfp.org.