Stamping out hunger

East Liverpool Post Office gathers 2,260 pounds of food from area residents

By DAVID M. GRIMES (dgrimes@reviewonline.com)
EAST LIVERPOOL — East Liverpool postman Dave Phillips jokingly asked the rookie mail carriers if they brought their can openers for the buffet that they would see on Saturday during their daily routes.

And he was pretty accurate as the East Liverpool Post Office workers picked up about 2,260 pounds of perishable food items during the national “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.

Phillips was joking about the can opener and eating a buffet themselves, but he knew the importance the food items would make in the city.

“It’s for the kids mainly, that’s how I look at it,” Phillips said as he took a look at the numerous bag and boxes full of food items in the back of the postal office on Dresden Avenue.

All donations, for the young and old, go right back into the community to several locations like the Salvation Army, Phillips added.

Even though the 2,260 pounds of food was significantly less than last year, the amount of food still surprised some postal workers.

“More people gave than I expected,” Don Setliff, postman, said. He noted that many families might not be able to give as easily as last time due to the rising gas and grocery prices.

Other postal workers like Phillips agreed with the amount of the food that was collected.

“We could have done better, but it’s good,” Phillips said. “Every little bit helps.”

Setliff and Phillips estimated that the amount of food that they collected on their routes was about half of what they received last year during the drive.

To Anna Wrona, another mail carrier, she was impressed by one area’s generosity — that area being the East End.

Wrona said she thought the East End residents really came together and donated a lot of the 2,260 pounds of food. She said it was great to see that part of the community being unselfish and helping out others in need.

Several of the mail carriers said some residents, in various parts of the city, left bags or boxes full of food items, which was extremely generous and really helped the food drive.

If anyone forgot to give a perishable food item, they still have a chance to help out their local community.

According to Phillips, the East Liverpool mail carriers will still pick up items for the next couple days if a resident leaves any perishable foods near the mailbox.