The Stamp Out Hunger food drive Saturday in Schuylkill County collected 42,950 pounds for the less fortunate in the community.
Greg Andregic, coordinator of the Stamp Out Hunger food drive in Schuylkill County, said the amount collected likely surpassed last year. He attributed the donation increase to more awareness and the plastic bags that were dropped off along with the postcards. Andregic is also union steward of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 500, based in Harrisburg. The nationwide food drive looks to feed the 48 million Americans who go hungry every day. The event was coordinated by organizations such as the National Association of Letter Carriers, U.S. Postal Service and National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.
“Look at all this,” Capt. Kevin Polito, of the Salvation Army of Pottsville, said Tuesday.
The Salvation Army received about four tons of food. He said the food will get the organization through the summer and the fall. It will be given to those in need. Polito and four others collected the food Monday from the post office in three trips in a van.
“My heart is swelled over with gratitude. That’s a great response by the community,” Polito said.
He said the food pantry had a couple of weeks of food left to distribute. They were out of soup, canned vegetables and even peanut butter. Food distribution from the emergency food pantry is done between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Call 570-622-5252 for more information. Polito said about 25 families a week are helped by food from the pantry.
The Salvation Army was not the only recipient of the generosity of others in the community. In Pottsville, Servant’s To All-My Father’s House and United Presbyterian Church also received food. 3,200 pounds and 4,000 pounds respectively.
The following post offices participated in the effort: Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, Port Carbon, Cressona, New Philadelphia, Orwigsburg, New Ringgold, Shenandoah, Frackville, Minersville, Tower City and Saint Clair. Food collected in Pottsville, Port Carbon, New Philadelphia, Cressona and Saint Clair was taken to the Pottsville post office for distribution to the three Pottsville locations. Donations collected in the other locations stays in that area. Andregic provided the amounts collected by each post office that participated.
The amounts collected were: Pottsville, 15,700 pounds; Schuylkill Haven, 2,850 pounds; Port Carbon, 1,240 pounds; Cressona, 900 pounds; New Philadelphia, 1,100 pounds; Orwigsburg, 5,800 pounds; New Ringgold, 1,310 pounds; Shenandoah, 4,500 pounds; Frackville, 3,100 pounds; Minersville 2,450 pounds; and Saint Clair, 2,000 pounds.
Tower City and Muir residents collected more than 2,000 pounds of food and products for the Williams Valley Food Pantry.
Andregic said he was surprised at the amount collected. He said it goes to show the “community supports each other. This year was a really good collection,” he said.
A national tally was not available as of Tuesday.