The following press release from the Franklin Food Pantry asks for community support of their upcoming event:
Franklin Letter Carriers Help Franklin Food Pantry
Stamp Out Hunger in Community Food Drive on May 9
FRANKLIN, Ma. – On Saturday, May 9, Franklin letter carriers will help the Franklin Food Pantry Stamp Out Hunger when the carriers pick up food donations from town residents at their mailboxes and deliver them to the Franklin Food Pantry.
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a nationwide effort organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) that provides food to local food banks and pantries that would otherwise be faced with depleted stocks during the summer months. The food drive is the nation’s largest single-day drive, collecting almost 73 million pounds of food last year.
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| Franklin members of the National Association of Letter Carriers collected and delivered more than two tons of food to the Franklin Food Pantry during the 2014 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. This year’s drive will be held on Saturday, May 9. |
The Franklin letter carriers collected and delivered more than 4,585 pounds of food to the Franklin Food Pantry in last year’s drive. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive comes at an ideal time for the Pantry.
“Stamp Out Hunger is truly a community-wide effort that gives us the inventory boost we need to help us through the summer,” says Erin Lynch, executive director for the Franklin Food Pantry. “Donations slow down after the first of the year, and by springtime, our inventory is depleted of the generous provisions we received over the holidays. We are so thankful to the letter carriers, and a supportive community, for helping us replenish our Pantry for the summer season.”
Nearly 600 households in Franklin count on the Franklin Food Pantry for supplemental food assistance.
Franklin residents can donate to the food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food where their letter carrier normally delivers their mail on Saturday, May 9. Some residents may receive the special yellow Stamp Out Hunger grocery bags to use, but any paper or plastic bag can be used. Letter carriers will pick up the bags during their normal mail rounds and will deliver the food to the Franklin Food Pantry.
Residents can also drop their donations off at the Franklin Food Pantry from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 9, or during the Pantry’s regular business hours, Tuesday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Pantry is located at 43 West Central Street, Route 140, adjacent to the Rockland Trust parking lot across from the Franklin fire station.
While all non-perishable food donations are welcome, items that are currently most needed at the Pantry include:
Tuna
Juice boxes
Granola bars
Pudding
Sugar-free Jell-O
Crackers Cake/cookie/brownie mix
Coffee
The Pantry is also in need of the following non-food items:
Toilet paper
Deodorant
Dish soap
Hand soap
If residents prefer to give a monetary donation (please no cash), please write a check payable to the Franklin Food Pantry, seal it in an envelope (no postage required), write “Letter Carriers’ Food Drive” on the envelope, and leave it in your mailbox. Donations can also be made online at www.franklinfoodpantry.org, or mailed to the Franklin Food Pantry, P.O. Box 116, Franklin, MA 02038.
For more information on the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com or call the Franklin Food Pantry at 508-528-3115.
The Franklin Food Pantry, established in 1987, provides immediate hunger relief and healthy sustainable solutions by empowering the community through resources, education and collaboration. It is part of the Greater Boston Food Bank network and depends entirely on support and donations from volunteers, corporate partners, schools, churches and community members. Located at 43 West Central Street, the Pantry accepts donations during business hours, Tuesday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Non-perishables may also be dropped off after hours in the bin by the front door. Monetary donations may be mailed to Franklin Food Pantry, PO Box 116, Franklin, MA 02038. For more information, visit franklinfoodpantry.org or call 508-528-3115. The Franklin Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization FEIN # 04-3272663.
