| For Immediate Release | Contact Information: | March 27, 2006 | Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry | 24133 Railroad Ave. | Newhall, CA 91321 | Belinda Crawford, Executive Director | 661-255-9078 |
Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry Announces 14th Annual Food Drive with the National Association of Letter Carriers
One Saturday each May, letter carriers throughout the nation gather non-perishable food from their customers and deliver it to local food charities. In Santa Clarita, the food drive generates literally tons of food, which is distributed by Santa Clarita’s longest-running food charity — The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry.
This year’s food drive will take place on Saturday, May 13 and is a critical source of food for Santa Clarita’s neediest citizens. “The National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive comes at the beginning of summer, when our local children are out of school and don’t have access to the lunch programs they depend on during the school year,” stated Executive Director Belinda Crawford. “The food donated by Santa Clarita residents through the Letter Carriers’ Food Drive carries us through the summer months when donations are at their slowest.”
The success of the NALC Food Drive lies in its simplicity. All citizens need to do is to place a box or bag of non-breakable food items next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers the mail on Saturday, May 13. The letter carriers collect the food and transport it to the local post office. Volunteers for the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry transport the food from the post office sites to the Food Pantry that same day.
Don Davis, chairperson of the food drive for the SCV Food Pantry, said the goal for this year is 24 tons of food. “Last year’s drive resulted in 22 tons of food for the Food Pantry’s clients. We aim to beat that this year.” Davis added, “We need the help of local Boy Scout Troops and service organizations on the day of the food drive between 2:00 and 7:00p.m. to receive the food."
The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, having been established in 1986 by a small group of community volunteers. The pantry uses food donations from the community to provide supplemental food on a short-term basis to qualified local residents. Approximately 60 volunteers work together to sort food, prepare bags, and assist clients. The commitment of the Food Pantry is that “No child in the Santa Clarita Valley should go to bed hungry.”
The National Association of Letter Carriers has been sponsoring the food drive for 14 years. Last year the NALC collected in excess of 71 million pounds of food nationwide. The annual food drive is part of the “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign by the NALC. Partnering with the NALC in this effort is Campbell Soup Co., which donates 1 million pounds of soup per year. In addition, Val-Pak Direct Marketing Systems Inc supports the campaign with the NALC by providing direct mail advertisements about the food drive to homes in all 50 states.
For information about food donations for the NALC Food Drive, contact the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, 661-255-9078 or info@scvfoodpantry.org.