Postal Food Drive - 1999
Youth Leadership Member, Amy Ong, and High School Volunteer Council Member, Ben Gilchrist, both from Derby High School, fill the shelves at Saint Vincent De Paul in Shelton. Youth Leadership Members Volunteer At Postal Carrier’s Food Drive The second Saturday in May has become an important day of the year for many food banks, food pantries and homeless shelters in the Valley, as well as throughout the nation. For the fifth year, members of the Valley United Way’s Youth Leadership members assisted with the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive. Over 30 students volunteered at Area Congregations Together-Spooner House (homeless shelter) in Derby and at Father McKenna’s St. Vincent DePaul Shop in Shelton. The National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive is an annual event when postal customers simply leave food items in bags in or by their mailboxes on the Food Drive day. When the city letter carrier comes to deliver mail on his or her route, the food is collected and then delivered to the food banks by volunteers. Youth Leadership members helped unload hundreds of bags of food from the mail trucks, packed boxes, and then sorted the food in an indescribable display of teamwork. Lynette Jordan, Executive Director of Area Congregations Together-Spooner House said, "We have received twice as much food as last year. We owe it to the community and without the dedication of the Youth Leadership members the day would not have been a true success. The students really responded to the need of the Spooner House" Barbara Samor, Director of St. Vincent De Paul Shop said, "We cannot begin to thank the students enough for their precious time and hard work." |
