Food drive sets records, but it’s going fast

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/504497.html?nav=10

POSTED: June 3, 2008

WAILUKU — A final tally in the annual National Association of Letter Carriers spring food drive showed 69,072 pounds of food products filled the shelves at the Maui Food Bank, officials reported Monday.

The Hawaii Foodbank and the Honolulu unit of the letter carriers union reported last week that the statewide “Stamp Out Hunger” drive netted 635,204 pounds of food — doubling the 317,446 pounds collected in 2007.

In Maui County, the final tally was more than double the 26,206 received in the previous year’s campaign.

“It’s impossible to do this kind of work alone,” said Rich Yust, Maui Food Bank executive director. “We rely on the entire island ohana, and the residents of Maui really made it occur. They gave more than we expected.


Maui Food Bank volunteer Amy Anderson, a nurse who recently moved to Maui, sorts through food donations that will be given to the nearly 100 agencies helping to feed the needy.

The Maui News / EDWIN TANJI photo


“This really speaks for the residents of Maui and how they really care about their community.”

“Stamp Out Hunger” was organized by mail carriers 16 years ago as a way to support the food banks around the country as they gear up for the summer, when the need for food increases while youngsters are out of school.

For the 2008 drive in Hawaii, coordinator Adele Yoshikawa credited the support of business and organizations: Summerlin insurance; the AFL-CIO & AUW; Sand Island Carrier; and food drive Co-Chairman Bruce McDowell, who donated 500,000 bags that mail carriers left with their customers to be put out for the food drive.


FULL story at link.