March 29, 2024

Osceola Post Office participates in Stamp Out Hunger

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The mail carriers at the Osceola Post Office participated in Stamp Out Hunger, a food collection drive initiated by the U.S. Postal Service.

This year was the third year that the Osceola Post Office participated, and it recieved its highest number of donations to date.

“I would say we probably upped last year’s collections by probably 3 percent, it was really very successful,” said George Thompson, supervisor. “I think the word is starting to get out, and this being our third year, I think the customers are starting to expect it. It’s getting to be a tradition.”

The mail carriers for the city of Osceola as well as the rural carriers for the Woodburn and Murray areas sent out postcards with the mail to each of their customers a couple of weeks ahead of time. About three days before the drive, the carriers put plastic bags at each mailbox for customers to put canned and other non-perishable food items in.

Community members donated 1,047 pounds of food on collection day, May 12.

“We’ve had more stragglers come in so we’re closer to 1,100 pounds,” said Michele Matlage, Postmaster. “So we’ve had almost 1,100 pounds of food that went to four different food pantries here in Clarke County.”

The food was donated to Clarke Schools Food and Clothing Pantry, Clarke County Food Pantry, Osceola Full Gospel Church Food Pantry and the Murray Church of Christ.

The date of the food drive is by design. Stocking the food pantries for summer ensures that children will be able to have good meals while they are out of school.

“I remember hearing in our video where it said there were kids in the summer that didn’t have enough to eat. And it really struck a cord and I thought, look at where we live, we’re in the middle of the midwest where we grow food for the rest of the world and our own kids are hungry. So I was really glad to pick up food for them,” said John Wilcox, a rural carrier.