Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive a Record-breaking Success!

Postal workers delivered 4.5 tons of food to the Franklin Food Pantry on Saturday, May 9, as part of this year's Stamp Out Hunger food drive. The Franklin letter carriers collected more than 9,229 pounds of food! The amount is more than double last year’s record of 4,585 pounds of food that was donated by residents and picked up by postal workers during normal mail rounds.

Stamp Out Hunger 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.

“We were completely overwhelmed by the amount of food and household necessities we received this year,” said Erin Lynch, executive director of the Pantry. “The generosity of this community and the outpouring of support are truly heartwarming. We are so thankful for the hard work of the postal carriers, the kindness of our neighbors, and the help of so many volunteers on that day. Many people in our community were engaged in making this effort such a success.”

Part of the success of this year’s drive was due to yellow Stamp Out Hunger bags that were placed in residents’ mailboxes as a reminder to put out their food donations. The postal workers were thrilled to see the impact that resulted – double the amount of donations over last year.

Postmaster Mike Catalano and wife Lauren came out to the event to show support and lend a hand in unloading the trucks. “We are really honored to be a part of such a worthwhile cause,” said Catalano. “I was so proud to see our trucks arrive overflowing with food donations. The letter carriers gladly worked twice as hard this year to help families in need in Franklin. What a great community to be a part of.” Catalano said that Franklin letter carrier and Stamp Out Hunger coordinator Rich Maloney was instrumental in organizing such a successful drive this year.

During Saturday’s food drive, the fleet of mail trucks was greeted by dozens of Pantry volunteers who unloaded the trucks, weighed the bags, sorted items and stacked them on shelves. The Stamp Out Hunger food drive helps replenish the Pantry’s inventory that has been depleted of its donations received during its busiest time of the year, the November/December holiday season.

Franklin letter carriers delivered more than 4 and a half tons of food collected from community
members to the Franklin Food Pantry on May 9 in the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. The record
9,229 pounds of food was more than double last year’s tally of 4,585 pounds.

Franklin letter carrier Rich Maloney organized this year’s record-breaking Stamp Out Hunger food drive,
part of a nationwide effort organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Erin Lynch, Pantry executive director, and Mike Catalano, Franklin Postmaster, lend a hand in the Stamp
Out Hunger food drive for the Franklin Food Pantry.

Franklin Letter Carriers Help Franklin Food Pantry Stamp Out Hunger in Community Food Drive on May 9

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.

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

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.

"Stamp Out Hunger" - May 9th

The pantry announced this week that the letter carriers will pick up food donations from residents’ mailboxes on Saturday, May 9. Later the mail trucks will line up at the West Central Street pantry to unload their haul. 

Residents can donate to the food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food where their letter carrier normally delivers their mail, or by visiting the pantry at 43 West Central St. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The pantry has a special need for cans of tuna, juice boxes and granola bars, as well as pudding, sugar-free Jell-O, coffee and baking mix for cakes, cookies or brownies. The non-food items include toilet paper, deodorant, and hand and dish soap. 

The national campaign occurs every second Saturday in May, involving letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across the country.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150418/NEWS/150416081/1994/NEWS

date checking the goods after weighing in

For other photos from 2014 check here
http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/2014/05/225-tons-of-food-collected-to-stamp-out.html

2.25 tons of food collected to 'Stamp out Hunger' Thank you!

The Franklin postal carriers drove their trucks by the Food Pantry before completing their rounds on Saturday.

Each truck as it arrived was greeted by volunteers who unloaded the truck, weighed the bags, sorted the items for date and damage, and then either filled the appropriate shelves or stacked the items for future use.

When the last truck had pulled away and the last item sorted the tally came out to net more than 4500 pounds or 2 1/4 tons of food and non-food items.

Thank you 

• Franklin neighbors for taking the time to leave a donation
• postal carriers for making the rounds to gather the donations
• volunteers for handling the goods and for helping to stock the shelves!

Photos from the 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive processing on Saturday

truck before unloading

volunteers unloading the truck

staging prior to weighing in

weighing in the bags and containers

date checking the goods after weighing in

why do we check for dates? to sort out items like this

stocking the shelves

thank you notes and candy for the postal carriers

  

Friendly reminder - Stamp Out Hunger - May 10

Don’t forget to leave your food donation bags by your mailbox Saturday morning! The Franklin letter carriers will pick them up on their normal mail rounds and deliver them to the Franklin Food Pantry in celebration of national Stamp Out Hunger day.

Stamp Out Hunger - May 10

Did you get your post card reminder in the mail?

Stamp Out Hunger - post card

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will be held rain or shine! If it is raining on Saturday, the Franklin letter carriers suggest placing your food donation bags in a plastic trash bag for protection.

You may also drop your donations off at the Franklin Food Pantry (located at 43 West Central Street) on May 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or during regular Pantry hours, Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nonperishables may also be dropped off anytime in the bin that is located outside of the Pantry's main entrance.

Thank you for helping us Stamp Out Hunger!

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive - Saturday, May 10

Now's the time to fill your food donation bag and get ready for the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 10. Just leave your bag of non-perishables by your mailbox on May 10 and the Franklin letter carriers will pick it up and deliver it to the Franklin Food Pantry. For more information, including a list of items most needed by the Pantry, visit here.

Show your support for the Franklin Food Pantry and the Franklin letter carriers in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive by changing your Facebook profile photo this week to the campaign’s logo!

Stamp Out Hunger - May 10

The current needs of the Franklin Food Pantry
http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/2014/04/franklin-letter-carriers-help-franklin.html

Additional info on the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive   http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/

Franklin Letter Carriers Help Franklin Food Pantry Stamp Out Hunger in Community Food Drive on May 10

On Saturday, May 10, 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 74.4 million pounds of food last year and 1.3 billion since its inception 22 years ago.

Stamp Out Hunger - May 10

“Stamp Out Hunger is an opportunity for the Franklin letter carriers to help people in need who live in our own backyard,” says Rich Maloney, Franklin member of NALC. “It is a truly moving experience when you see our fleet of mail trucks arrive at the Food Pantry with bags of food donations from the community. Last year we collected and delivered four thousand pounds of food that helped feed area families in need. With the help of our community, we hope to collect even more food this year.”

The Franklin Food Pantry is experiencing an increased need for its services which mirrors trends seen nationally and throughout Massachusetts. “We have seen a 43 percent increase in families returning weekly for bread and produce during the last year,” says Erin Lynch, director of development for the Franklin Food Pantry. “With more than 600 local households unable to afford three meals a day, the number of pounds of provisions we distributed increased by 30 percent.”

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive comes at an ideal time for the Pantry. “We receive tremendous support from the community during the November/December holiday season,” says Lynch. “But donations slow down after the first of the year, and by springtime, our inventory becomes very low. We do not have enough food to help the hundreds of families who are counting on us for supplemental food assistance. Thanks to the Franklin letter carriers, and the generosity of town residents, this food drive allows us to replenish our inventory in preparation for the summer season.”

Franklin residents can help out with the food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food where their letter carrier normally delivers their mail on Saturday, May 10. Letter carriers will then pick up the bags during their normal mail rounds and will deliver the food to the Franklin Food Pantry. Residents can also drop off their donations at the Pantry from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 10, or during the Pantry’s regular business hours, Tuesday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Pantry is located at 43 West Central Street, Route 140.

While all non-perishable food donations are welcome, items that are currently most needed at the Pantry include:

• Canned tomato products
• Canned fruit
• Canned ravioli
• Tuna (white in water)
• Cereal
• Olive and/or canola oil
• Dry spices and herbs (parsley, garlic powder, basil, cinnamon, etc.)
• Vinegar
• Gluten free products

The Pantry is also in need of the following non-food items:

• Deodorant
• Dish Soap
• All-purpose cleaners
• Baby diapers/wipes

For more information on the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.

Established in 1987, the mission of the Franklin Food Pantry is to provide 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 and the community at large. 

The Franklin Food Pantry is located at 43 West Central Street, Route 140 and can accept donations during business hours, Tuesday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Non-perishables may also be dropped off after hours in the bin by the front door, or monetary donations may be mailed to Franklin Food Pantry, PO Box 116, Franklin, MA 02038. For more information, visit franklinfoodpantry.org, like the Pantry’s Facebook page, or call 508-528-3115. The Franklin Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization FEIN # 04-3272663.

Stamp Out Hunger - Sat, May 10

The postal carriers will be conducting their annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive to help the Franklin Food Pantry.

Stamp Out Hunger - May 10

Thank you - over 4,000 lbs collected

The "Stamp Out Hunger" drive was a success on Saturday. The postal carriers drove their trucks to the Franklin Food Pantry to drop off the bags they had collected on their rounds delivering the mail to Franklin residents.

Help Stamp Out Hunger

The volunteers were lined up and ready in team to off load the trucks, weigh the bags and boxes, bring them to the cellar where they were date checked, sorted by product type and shelved.

Thank you card

The postal carriers and volunteers all received the thank you card as shown above.

For those who contributed by leaving food and non-food items, our thanks go out to you as well! The 3,000  4,000 pounds collected will help us continue to serve our neighbors.


Text on the card:

Last year our organization distributed more than 

150,000 pounds of food to 580 households, 

thanks to support from this community. 

Your efforts today will help us to meet the rapidly

 increasing needs for our services.

Thank you!

Volunteers needed on Saturday

Thank you! We do have enough volunteers for Saturday. If you want to sign up to help for a future event, please do so by visiting the sign up form

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Once again, the Franklin postal carriers will be participating in the "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. Residents are notified by their carriers about this event and the carriers pick it up on Saturday, May 11th. The donations will be delivered by the carriers to the Food Pantry that day. Then, the fun begins!

Franklin Food Pantry

We will need several volunteers on Saturday, May 11th between the hours of 2:00pm - 6:00pm. This would be a minimum of a 2-hour commitment. Some of the responsibilities include unloading postal trucks as they arrive, weighing the items, checking expiration dates, sorting, carrying items to the pantry and stocking the appropriate shelves.

Available shifts:
2-6
3-5
4-6

Stamp Out Hunger

Appropriate footwear is mandatory (no flip-flops!). Because the mail trucks come in randomly, there may be some down time. We will assign specific tasks so respond as soon as possible to secure your spot. You will receive an email back from us to confirm your shift.

Please let us know by send an email to volunteers@franklinfoodpantry.org

Stamp Out Hunger - May 11

This Saturday is the annual Stamp Out Hunger collection by the postal carriers. As they make the rounds delivering your mail, they can pick up bags of non-perishable food and non-food items.

stamp out hunger

The post card notice of this event should be arriving in your mail box, if it hasn't already. It arrived in our mailbox on Tuesday.

If you are looking for a suggestion or two, the items that we are currently most in need of are: shampoo, body wash, shaped pasta (not long spaghetti), cereal, snack bars and other snack items for kids to bring to school.

Your Franklin neighbors will thank you!


For additional information on this campaign, you can visit the website http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/

Stamp Out Hunger, May 12

The Franklin Food Pantry was on the receiving end of a parade of mail carrier trucks on Saturday. The annual Stamp Out Hunger drive was held. Letter carriers picked up donations from Franklin residents on their mail delivery rounds on Saturday and then dropped off the donations at the Food Pantry The trucks arrived

The trucks got emptied

The bags/boxes were weighed and then date checked

The items were sorted and then put onto shelving

Thanks to Linda Sottile, the Food Pantry Operations Manager, for organizing the many volunteers.

Thanks to all the volunteers for their help!

Thanks to the letter carriers for their help!

Thanks to the Franklin residents who contributed!

Your Franklin neighbors will appreciate the results.


Thanks to Barbara Evans for the photos!

Stamp Out Hunger - Food Drive - May 12

The carriers of the Franklin Post Office will pick up your contribution this Saturday as they make their rounds with the mail.



Food and non-food items are welcome. You can check out our current needs listing for suggestions

Note: At this time we have more than enough volunteers lined up to help us. Thank you!

Franklin Food Pantry says “Thanks to You”

Thanks to your generosity, the Franklin Food Pantry will be stocked to serve our neighbors this summer. The recent “Calling for the Pantry” phone-a-thon netted just over $11,000 and the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive coordinated with the US Post Office generated just over 5,000 pounds of food and non-food items. “We are relieved to fill the empty shelves and know many of these donations will help us through the summer,” said Anne Marie Bellavance, Executive Director.

Volunteers for the Franklin Food Pantry reached out to talk with 2,400 households in Franklin, MA as part of the first annual phone fundraising effort. Bellavance said, “We were not sure what it (the phone-a-thon) would be like. The phone conversations the volunteers had were priceless. The feedback provided will help us.”

Dean College graciously provided use of their phone bank as their contribution to this event. More than 40 volunteers made the phone calls spread over several time periods from April 30 through May 3, 2011. The unpaid volunteers announced that this was the first annual phone call fundraising effort for the Food Pantry. 

The Food Pantry will be able to provide more than 55,000 meals with the money raised. They are able to do this by leveraging resources with the Greater Boston Food Bank and providing fresh produce from Grateful Farm in Franklin. The fresh produce will be available during June through October for Franklin Food Pantry clients.

On Saturday, May 14, Franklin participated in the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign, the largest food drive in the US. Jeanne Jackson, Franklin’s USPS Postmaster, was on site at the Food Pantry observing the parade of 20 postal vehicles. As the carriers worked their routes delivering mail to residences in Franklin, they picked up bags of food and non-food items that had been left for them at the mailboxes. The carriers stopped at the Food Pantry to drop off the bags before heading back to the Post Office.

Volunteers worked efficiently to unload the trucks as they arrived. Once unloaded, the bags were weighed, the items were checked for safety and quality, sorted into food and non-food categories and stocked onto the shelves. Only 10% of the items received were put aside due to safety and quality concerns. This is a marked improvement over 2010 when there was 28% waste from expired “use by” dates. Thanks to

• Dean College for the use of the phone bank
• The residents for their contributions of food and money
• The volunteers for their time and effort
• The Post Office carriers for their time and effort

Thanks to you for helping put food on the table this summer for your Franklin neighbors!


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Stamp Out Hunger web site: http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/thankyou.aspx

Franklin Food Pantry web site http://franklinfoodpantry.org/