OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Food insecurity is becoming more prevalent in our society, but organizations are doing their part to combat the problem.
For more than three decades, the National Association of Letter Carriers has conducted an annual nationwide food drive, collecting non-perishable food donations along postal routes, with the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, said Karla Greenway, Interfaith Emergency Services chief executive officer.
The partnership with the letter carriers’ union goes back more than 30 years. The local postal workers really have been champions for Interfaith and other pantries, in an incredible way, said Greenway.
“I came here in 2010, and prior to that, and for the first couple of years after I was here, we were number one in the nation for this size community for the amount of food that was collected,” said Greenway. “That’s what Marion County did. Marion County shined brighter than any other community of this size in the nation, which is not surprising knowing how generous this community is.”
COVID provided a series of challenges, and with there being so many new people in Marion County, creating awareness can sometimes be difficult, said Greenway.
“I know Marion County, and when people know they’ll help,” said Greenway. “We just don’t have enough people that know, it’s more than just our media outlets sharing, we need individuals. If you’re somebody who puts food by your mailbox, tell your neighbors or put a sign up in your neighborhood by reminding your neighbors, tell people at your church because we are desperate for this food now. In November and December alone, we had 17,000 individuals come through our pantry, looking for food, now that was tied to the government shutdown, but on a regular basis, we have 500 households a week.”
Food insecurity affects not just people living in poverty or welfare, it’s retired citizens, people who’ve worked their whole life, families that are income strained.
“Think about people who have to live with a disability, and their whole income is a disability check of maybe $1,000 a month and think about what they’re paying for rent and that doesn’t leave anything left for food,” said Greenway.
This one day is the easiest way you can help your neighbors in Marion County, just food by your mailbox. It’s that easy, said Greenway. The letter carriers will be leaving bags in the mailboxes, but even if they don’t leave a bag in your mailbox, you can take another bag and put it by your mailbox.
Part of what Interfaith Emergency Services takes in from the postal carrier drive will go to the Salvation Army, said Greenway.
“This is an easy way for people to clean out their pantry, if they have that extra can of beans from last Thanksgiving that they’re not going to eat, they can just pass it onto another family,” said Greenway.