Glenwood Springs post office joins antihunger campaign

By Stina Sieg
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
May 6, 2008

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Stamp Out Hunger 2008

What: The nationwide program has filled food banks and kitchens with 836 million pounds of food in the past 15 years. Local recipients: LIFT-UP's Extended Table soup kitchen in Glenwood Springs, which serves more than 1,000 meals a month. How can I help? The Glenwood Springs Post Office, 113 Ninth St., is accepting nonperishable food items until Saturday, May 10. A place for donations will be made outside the building, near the blue collection boxes. More information on the national effort: www.helpstampouthunger.com

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado - Dig out your cans of peas, those extra sacks of beans. It's time to raid your pantry for a good cause.

For the first time in three years, the Glenwood Springs post office is joining up with Stamp Out Hunger, a nationwide postal food drive. Until Saturday, May 10, the post office will be accepting nonperishable food items outside the building, near the blue collection boxes. All donations will go to LIFT-UP's Extended Table soup kitchen - and right into the bellies of the Glenwood's neediest residents.

"It's always rewarding to see the community giving back," said postmaster Phil Hice.

A 26-year postal veteran, Hice has been involved in the drive for years. A newbie to the Glenwood office, this will be his first Stamp Out in the valley. But he was eager to tell about his drive experiences in his office.

"We always had a tremendous response in Grand Junction to the food drive," he said. "It was gratifying to see how much the community responded."

He wasn't being a bit over-the-top.

The Junction drive is done all in one day, he said, and carriers collect the food directly from their customers. It was Hice's job to help empty the postal vehicles if they became too heavy. Once, after gathering donations from three carriers, Hice realized he was carrying 1,800 pounds of goods.

He described the collection time in Grand Junction, when postal employees and their families volunteer. It takes a "very long day," he said, to sort and package the donations, which replenish local food banks. Above the general feeling of goodwill the event instills in the employees, it's also nice for them to work alongside their customers so closely, he said. As he put it, this is the Postal Service's chance to "partner with our community" - and he's always amazed at how many carriers want to do so.

While he doesn't know what kind of response Glenwood will have, he sounded genuinely pleased to be involved. He estimated that he donates two or three sacks of groceries each food drive. This year sounded like it would be no different.

"It's very rewarding to me," he reiterated.

He seemed hopeful the feeling would spread.

Contact Stina Sieg: 384-9111
ssieg@postindependent.com



Post Independent Glenwood Springs CO Colorado