STAMP OUT HUNGER Postal Workers Annual Food Drive Far Exceeds Expectations

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                                    Lili Coleman, Executive Director

                                                                                    (work) 843-757-8000

                                                                                    (mobile) 843-714-4304

May 13, 2013, Bluffton, SC—Bluffton Self Help, this past Saturday, received the largest amount of food donations from the Bluffton community in the history of the annual STAMP OUT HUNGER Postal Workers Food Drive. Nearly 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food was collected in Bluffton. That’s 25 tons of food!

In anticipation of a successful food drive, Paul Laughlin, a partner with Ulmer Brothers, offered his 18-wheeler tractor-trailer to Bluffton Self Help to be used at the postal annex location off Highway 170. The result:  the truck was filled wall-to-wall, three feet high with donated food.  In four hours and with approximately 30 volunteers, many from Hampton Lake and Belfair Plantation, the truck was unloaded and the food placed in a temperature-controlled environment.

This didn’t include the food delivered directly at Bluffton Self Help’s building in Sheridan Park.  Volunteers greeted the postal workers with a cookout offering hot dogs, chips and refreshments for their efforts.

“We are amazed and grateful of the response from the community in support of this food drive,” said Tray Hunter, president of Bluffton Self Help.  “We are equally amazed by the number of postal workers who stuffed their vehicles with the bags left by mailboxes throughout Bluffton and delivered them to the two locations.”

This national food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers has been conducted annually for 21 years.  This year, postal workers, handed out promotional collection bags a few days prior to the food drive.