LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i’s U.S. Postal Service mail carriers join over 240,000 carriers across the country in collecting food from customers Saturday in the 18th Annual Food Drive to “Stamp Out Hunger.” All local donations will go to the Kaua‘i Food
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i’s U.S. Postal Service mail carriers join over 240,000 carriers across the country in collecting food from customers Saturday in the 18th Annual Food Drive to “Stamp Out Hunger.”
All local donations will go to the Kaua‘i Food Bank.
The familiar blue-plastic bags and postcards reminding customers of the drive were in some Kaua‘i mailboxes Tuesday, though most were expected to go out Wednesday, said Iris Watabu, Kapa‘a postmaster.
While the one-day collection is May 8, with customers instructed to leave non-perishable food items in the blue bags by their mailboxes, customers can also bring donations to post offices after Saturday, said Duke Gonzales, USPS spokesman.
All donations to the Kaua‘i Food Bank will be “absolutely welcome,” said Judy Lenthall, food bank executive director, adding the food bank is short of its goal of 20,000 pounds of food during its spring food and fund drive.
“It’s a chance to have us catch up,” said Lenthall, adding that the 2010 Hunger America study shows the Kaua‘i Food Bank serves 11,000 unduplicated people (those not served elsewhere).
It is the state’s smallest food bank, yet services the largest percentage of island residents of any food bank in the state, Lenthall said.
This Saturday is the 18th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive.
The drive is the nation’s largest one-day effort to combat hunger, and is held to support the mission of community food banks such as the Kaua‘i Food Bank, states a USPS press release.
Last year about 1,000 Hawai‘i mail carriers collected more than 580,000 pounds of food. A total of 9,800 pounds was collected on Kaua‘i, with the Kapa‘a post office setting the pace with a total of 3,288 pounds, the release states.
More than 73 million pounds were collected nationwide last year, and a total of more than 982 million pounds of food has been collected during the campaign’s first 17 years, states the press release.
“The NALC Food Drive is a big help because it always results in a lot of canned protein items, which are our ‘Most Wanted’ items,” said Mike Kajiwara, Hawai‘i Foodbank director of product donations.
Kajiwara listed the most desired food donations: Canned meats or tuna, canned meals, canned soups, canned fruits and vegetables and canned beans.
“Our goal is to top last year’s totals,” said Adele Yoshikawa, Pearl City carrier and NALC Food Drive statewide chairperson.
“But with the weak economy it may be difficult. We know some people who have donated food in the past may now be struggling themselves and unable to give,” said Yoshikawa.
“To make up for that shortfall we’d like to ask those who are more secure to give a little more.”
A recent study indicated more than 183,000 people in Hawai‘i are receiving emergency food assistance through the Hawai‘i Foodbank network.
“This drive is a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate to our communities that our postal service does more than deliver the mail. It shows that we can make a positive difference and we truly care about helping others,” said Yoshikawa.
An independent federal agency, the USPS is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week.
It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars.
The USPS has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail, the release states.
See www.usps.com/stampouthunger for more information.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
