This Saturday mail carriers won’t be delivering mail to city residents but instead picking up food donations for the Regional Food Distribution Association.
Canada Post is teaming up with the RFDA to help Stamp Out Hunger. Spurred by the suggestion of a Katimavik youth volunteer from British Columbia, RFDA president Larry Brigham brought the idea to the postal workers.
The public is being asked to put out any non-perishable food items out on the curb in a bag before 9 a.m. Saturday to be picked up by the postal workers and other volunteers.
“This time of year a lot of cupboards go bare,” said letter carrier Joan Stevens. “A lot of people, even myself, you kind of forget. Christmas is always a time of giving and people give so much at that time and this time of year they kind of forget about the need.”
Brigham said right now the food banks are challenged and their warehouse right now is bare.
“We need to be able to help the food banks to get through the summer,” he said.
Forty-seven per cent of people in Thunder Bay dependent on food hampers are children and during the summer not only are donations down, but school breakfast and lunch programs aren’t running.
“We were quite concerned we wouldn’t have more food so this is really neat to have a special food drive,” Brigham said. “It’s a little different than what has happened in the past. We’re quite excited the postal workers have taken this challenge.”
Stevens said she’s hoping the fact that the volunteers will be coming to the people directly will help bring out more donations.
“Sometimes if it’s made a little easier, people will do it,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who don’t’ have vehicles and they can’t go to different locations so to come to their curbside would be a great way to do it. I think it would make it easier for a lot of people … hopefully people do respond.”
Pick-up won’t be available throughout the entire city; residents who receive flyers about the event will have curbside pick-up. For anyone else wanting to donate, they can drop off items at the Balmoral Street Mail Plant, Lakehead Labour Centre and both Quality Market locations.
