11/22/2008 10:12:00 PM Letter Carriers' Food Drive boon to underprivileged over the holidays
Matt Hinshaw/The Daily Courier
John McCaw, a United States Postal Service City Letter Carrier for Prescott, picks up a donation of nonperishable foods on his route on Prescott Heights Drive Saturday morning. McCaw has been actively participating in the annual food drive for the past 13 years.
PRESCOTT - Mired in an uncertain economic climate, local postal service employees and residents realize how important food drives are to those having difficulty finding work, particularly during the holidays.
For the 26th straight year on Saturday, postal workers in Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley put on the Letter Carriers' Food Drive, which generates thousands of pounds of nonperishable items for charitable organizations.
John McCaw, the Prescott post office's food drive coordinator who has assisted with these efforts biannually for 13 years, said Saturday's event will likely generate upwards of 30,000 to 50,000 pounds of food.
Prescott Community Cupboard and Yavapai Food Bank volunteers sorted, split and hauled away all canned goods, pasta, rice, soups and macaroni and cheese from Prescott's carriers at the post office at 442 Miller Valley Road.
Yavapai Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul and Prescott Valley Emergency Food Bank will get what PV's carriers collect, while the Chino Valley Food Bank garners proceeds from what is donated in CV.
"The food we gather here will probably last about three months," Community Cupboard volunteer Bruce Burwell said.
On Mother's Day, Prescott's postal carriers brought in 57,000 pounds of food, which they also donated to food banks.
McCaw said it was the third-highest amount collected nationwide this spring in the Postal Workers Union's National Association of Letter Carriers small city category.
"The need now is probably the worst that I've ever seen," he said while driving his Prescott Heights route Saturday. "There are so many young, local families that rely on construction because the area is growing. They don't have any benefits as far as retirement and health care. They need to work and they're not working."
As McCaw was picking up items in Prescott proper, fellow carrier Carrie Weatherhead gathered food in outlying rural spots.
"I can't believe the generosity of this town," McCaw said. "It's gratifying seeing all of the food we get."
Irene Hanten, who lives on Prescott Heights Drive, gave away several items, including canned pumpkin.
"I've been donating for several years," Hanten said. "The need is so great this year and it makes me feel good to give. I'm so glad that there are people who realize that others are going hungry."
Iris Wolfe, another Prescott Heights Drive resident, and her partner, Dennis DuVall, also contributed.
"These drives are critical to helping people," Wolfe said. "The most important thing is to do this for the benefit of all. I'm not an island, and we all sink or swim together."
While carriers were out collecting food from residents on their routes, employees with KPPV 106.7 FM in Prescott were doing the same at three tri-city area Safeway grocery stores.
They took in cereal, hot chocolate, pasta, tea, frozen turkeys, and cash donations, among other things.
KPPV, which has promoted the drive for the past seven years, ran a live remote at the stores from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Early on in the drive, KPPV promotions coordinator Alexa Skjei-Robinson said the local ROTC donated 300 pounds of canned goods.
"We've had a great response," Skjei-Robinson said from the Safeway at 1044 Willow Creek Road. "A lot of people are really eager to help out and donate."
