PSI Sponsors Letter Carrier Food Drive

Pacific Surgical Institute has signed on to sponsor the 17th Annual Letter Carrier Food Drive, which will take place on Saturday, May 8th. The event generates food donations for Help Warehouse, a food distribution center serving Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties.

The letter carrier food drive is sponsored nationally by the U.S. Postal Service, Campbell Soup, United Way, Valpak, AFL-CIO, and Feeding America. In addition to PSI, local sponsors L & J Feed and the Longview Junior Service League have agreed to supply collection bags for the event.

“We traditionally collect more than 50,000 pounds of food from this effort,” said Lois Shelton, program manager at Help Warehouse. “We’re lucky to have the cooperation of letter carriers in both Longview and Kelso, along with local sponsors to purchase the bags.”

During the week prior to March 8th, letter carriers will distribute a postcard to raise awareness about the event. Several days later, carriers distribute collection bags and ask residents to fill them with food and place them by their mailboxes. Letter carriers then return to pick up the donations on the 8th.

The food is taken to Help Warehouse in Longview, where volunteers sort, box, and distribute it to food banks in the Cowlitz County area.

“All food collected locally stays in the local area,” Shelton said.

Pacific Surgical Institute also sponsored the 2009 food drive.

Lois Shelton,

Program Manager, Help  Warehouse