PORTLAND, Ore. (May 13, 2010) — Columbia Distributing was proud to support the National Association of Letter Carrier's "Stamp Out Hunger" Food drive on May 8th. Thank you to Columbia employees: Daniel LaFlamme, Chad Thomas and Scott Lunday for volunteering time and talent to help transport donations!
More than 3,000 letter carriers throughout Oregon and Clark County, Wash., joined with letter carriers across America to collect donations of nonperishable food from their postal customers during the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive on May 8th.
"The National Association of Letter Carriers provides a critical source of much needed nutritious, shelf-stable food," says Rachel Bristol, executive director and CEO of Oregon Food Bank. "This drive is especially important during these difficult economic times when so many of our neighbors have lost their jobs, savings and homes. I encourage everyone to participate in this important, one-day food drive."
The need for emergency food has hit record highs during this recession. A U.S.D.A Report, based on census data, ranks Oregon number two in the nation in hunger (very low food security).
Letter carriers collected nonperishable food donations left by mailboxes and tookthem to their local post office, where more than a thousand volunteers throughout Oregon and Clark County packed the food. Trucks then picked up the food and delivered it to regional food banks of the Oregon Food Bank Network.
The "Stamp Out Hunger" effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive. This year, the drive hit the one-billion mark for pounds of food collected nationally since the food drive's inception in 1993.
Trucking was donated by Oak Harbor Freight, Columbia Distributing, Maletis Beverage, Pacific Coast Fruit, Pepsi Beverage Company, Pacific Service Center, CEVA International, Walter E Nelson Company, Courier Direct and UPS Freight.
About the Oregon Food Bank Network
The Oregon Food Bank Network is a cooperative statewide coalition of 20 regional food banks working to eliminate hunger and its root causes by distributing donated food to agencies serving low-income people and through advocacy and public education about the underlying causes of hunger.
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