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PHOTO PROVIDED Local volunteers and letter carriers collected close to 65,000 pounds of food – exceeding last year's total – last week during the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, according to Nancy Kimball, drive coordinator for the Englewood area. There were between 100 and 120 other volunteers from local churches and food pantries, she said. Kimball said she wants to say thanks to the Endzone restaurant and Dominoes Pizza for helping provide food for the volunteers. Volunteers Terry Dubois, Jeanne Lewis, Margaret McCullum and Jane Mills are sorting some of the items that were collected.

ENGLEWOOD — There’s something about any child in Englewood going to bed hungry that greatly upsets Nancy Kimball.

Kimball, a retired postal carrier, has been in charge of the annual food drive for 18 years. This year’s drive is Saturday.

“Last year, volunteers and letter carriers collected about 65,000 pounds of food,” she said. “I would absolutely love to get a little more this year. What’s exciting is the people of Englewood are so generous. The food stays in Englewood. It helps families. I just don’t want to see hungry children.”

Kimball said about 150 volunteers will be helping at the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Food collected by volunteers will be weighed and brought to pantries, including Englewood Bible Church, Englewood Helping Hand, St. David’s Episcopal Church and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

Kimball will send out volunteers to collect food just before the rural carriers deliver the mail.

“It’s very helpful for the carriers if many of the food donations are picked up ahead of time,” she said. “When I delivered mail, I remembered what a challenge it was when my vehicle was full of donations and I still had to finish my route.”

Kimball is asking that residents donate items that will help a family make a meal or an after-school snack for a child, including peanut butter, SpaghettiOs, canned fruit, etc.

“We do not want glass bottles,” she said. “It’s a safety issue. When I delivered mail, I picked up a bag with glass in it and didn’t realize it. It had cocktail onions in it and it broke. It was hot out and that’s all I smelled for the rest of the day. We could also use cans with peel-off tops. They are helpful to the homeless who get food from the pantry and may not have a can opener.”

Kimball said other donations such as dog and cat food, diapers and nonperishables are welcome. The pet food is donated to a local animal shelter.

Residents already should have received special bags from the post office to deposit donations on Saturday. Anyone who wants to drop off a donation at the post office also can do so on or before Saturday’s drive.

“All volunteer drivers should have a sign from the food drive on their vehicle,” she said. “People should not be alerted if a person with that sign picks up the food on Saturday morning. Again, it’s OK if the food is put out early, before the normal time the letter carrier comes to your home. I’d say it should be out by 9 or 9:30 (a.m.).”

Kimball said she couldn’t organize the drive if it weren’t for the army of volunteers and the rural carriers.

“They are great,” she said. “I keep coming back because this drive is supported by the great people of Englewood, and I can’t stand hearing there are hungry children in Englewood.”

Email: eallen@sun-herald.com

Photos:

SUN FILE PHOTO

Local volunteers and letter carriers collected close to 65,000 pounds of food during the 2013 Stamp Out Hunger food drive in the Englewood area. This year’s drive is Saturday. Residents already should have received special bags from the post office to deposit donations. Anyone who wants to drop off a donation at the post office also can do so on or before Saturday’s drive.

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