COURT HOUSE –– During the holidays, food banks help many people put meaningful dinners on the table.

Countywide branches of the U.S Postal Service will collect non-perishable food to help fill food banks desperately in need of replenishment after Thanksgiving in preparation for Christmas.

Mail carriers will do the footwork and deliver items to the food pantry but need residents to supply the goods, Saturday, Dec. 6.

Leave any unopened, non-perishable food item near the mailbox for the carrier to pick up. Food items can also be dropped off at participating postal services.

The post office’s annual food drive originated at the Wildwood Post Office 25 years ago. John Vollrath, a retired letter carrier, recalls working at the Wildwood branch 20 years ago when the food drive began.

“It started very small then just snowballed by word of mouth with more people asking how they could help with either transporting food or volunteering to sort it. Now it’s a very big annual event with many involved. It’s heart warming,” Vollrath said.

“It’s greatly needed this year more so than ever because of the state of the economy,” he said. “The food drive has been very successful in the past.”

Vollrath said all food donations would stay within the food banks of the communities where they are collected. Once food has been dispensed to local food banks, the remainder is taken to Whitesboro Bethel Church.

Naturally more-populated areas are capable of supplying more food to more people. St. Ann Parish in Wildwood has the capacity to provide over 30 bags of food everyday, Vollrath said.

“Basically anyone who comes can take the food,” Vollrath said. There’s no qualifying criteria needed to benefit from the food drive.

Areas include, Cape May, Court House, Villas, Rio Grande, Wildwood, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City and Ocean City.

Items suggested include:
•Baby food and formula
•Peanut Butter and jelly
•Cereal
•Tuna fish
•Mayonnaise
•Dry pasta
•Rice
•Instant potatoes
•Macaroni and cheese
•Spaghetti sauce
•Canned ravioli
•Applesauce
•Canned goods including fruits, vegetables and soups
•Spam and corned beef hash
•Beef stew and chili
•Beans
•Juice

The food drive is a group-effort made by the post office to restock the food banks after Thanksgiving in preparation for Christmas.

“Everyone from the postmaster to the mail carrier is involved in this project,” Vollrath said.

Contact Truluck at (609) 886-8600 ext. 24 or at: ltruluck @cmcherald.com.