The dollar equivalent of the food is
$201,580, based on our formula of $2.50 per pound. We are so very grateful to the Letter
Carriers, the residents of Martin County and our tireless
volunteers!
The annual food drive is conducted by the National Association
of Letter Carriers, and House of Hope is the primary recipient
in Martin County.
Letter carriers collected
non-perishable donations from homes as they delivered mail along
their postal routes. House of Hope receives food from all Martin
County postal routes except Jensen Beach, which goes to Treasure
Coast Food Bank, so a “Martin County” total may be different
than a “House of Hope” total.
In 2009, Stamp Out Hunger was held on Saturday, May 9
and brought in
nearly 40 tons
of food, which lasted about four months.
In 2008, the drive brought in 44 tons of
food to House of Hope, amounting to about 103,000 meals for
Martin County's hungry.
In preparation for the drive, residents
throughout Martin County received a post card from their
letter carrier, notifying them about the drive; they also received a bag from Publix. Residents
were asked to leave the bag
(or other sturdy container) containing non-perishable foods next
to their mailbox on May
9.
Letter carriers picked up the food and brought it to a
central location. House of Hope then picked up the food and
brought it to the Stuart food warehouse, where about 70
volunteers sorted and boxed hundreds of thousands of items.
The food drive comes at a key time because
of already high demand stemming from the current economic
crisis. Through the first quarter of this year, House of Hope
has distributed nearly 20 tons of food, fulfilling 3,410
requests from individuals and families in need. The requests are
more than double the number seen during the same period in 2008.
Donations are even more critical entering
the summer months because many children no longer have the
benefit of their school lunch program.
House of Hope’s Food Pantry program – along
with the agency’s Emergency Financial Assistance and Clothes
Closet programs -- provides temporary assistance to families
during personal crises beyond their control. The Food Pantry
program also serves many fixed-income senior citizens on a
regular basis.
For information about House of Hope, please
call (772) 286-4673 or visit www.hohmartin.org.