Don't forget to put out your food donation by your mailbox this Saturday

In its annual study of hunger in America, the United States Department of Agriculture recently released some shocking statistics.  They found that the number of people struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table has increased from 35.5 million to 49.1 million people – the largest increase ever.  The same report revealed that children were among the hardest hit.  They found that 1 in 4 children reside in food insecure households – unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life.

This increased need is reflected in our local community.  At the Council of Social Concern Food Pantry, we are seeing a new face of hunger.  We are seeing more people who have never used a Food Pantry and never thought they would ever have to.  None of us knows when we may fall ill or lose a job.  And in our current economy, with so few jobs available, people tend to be unemployed for longer periods of time, depleting their resources until, in desperation, they turn to us for help feeding their families.

This is why the National Association of Letter Carriers’ 18th annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive is more important than ever.  On Saturday, May 8 Letter Carriers across the country will be collecting non-perishable food donations along their routes for delivery to local food pantries.

All the food collected in Woburn and Winchester will be delivered to the Council of Social Concern Food Pantry to directly help our “neighbors in need”.  Our Letter Carriers are putting their hearts, souls and muscles into this effort, and we can all have a huge impact on its success by being as generous as we can.

Please remember to put out your non-perishable food donations (within date and preferably not in glass jars) on Saturday, May 8, before your mail is delivered.  In Woburn and Winchester, your Letter Carrier will collect it for the Council of Social Concern Food Pantry.  If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Food Pantry, please make your check payable to “Council of Social Concern Food Pantry” and leave it clearly marked for your Letter Carrier.

Sincerely,

Karen Colatrella, Food Pantry Director
Council of Social Concern
2 Merrimac Street
Woburn, MA  01801
Phone: 781-935-6495, ext. 208
Fax: 781-935-1923
E-mail: karen@socialconcern.org