BANGOR, Maine — Mail carriers in the Greater Bangor area were out on Saturday picking up doorstep food donations from Mainers participating in the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
The U.S. Postal Service's National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and Heart of Maine United Way partner each year to collect food donations in the state, tackling food insecurity.
The Stamp Out Hunger initiative, led by the NALC, is nationwide and it stands as one of the largest one-day food drives in the country, Heart of Maine United Way Vice President and Chief Impact Officer Matt Donahue said.
"Things like today when we can do the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive really support food insecurity and hunger in Maine," Donahue said.
The Bangor site collects about 30,000 pounds of food each year, equating to approximately 25,000 meals, Donahue explained. Those meals get distributed to local food pantries.
"We have tremendous volunteer support," Donahue said. "You get to really see it in action. the food coming in and then going right back out that same day to the pantries and then out to someone's house this coming week."
Community members who participate in the annual food drive pack small bags of hope, stuffing the bags with a variety of food items. They then sit the food bags on the front porch of their home or at their front door.
Mail carriers walk or drive their routes delivering mail, then pick up the donated food items and pack them in the back of their mail trucks.
"I've only done four walking routes so far, and I have at least 20 bags in there, Thomas Richendolar said.
Richendolar has been a mail carrier for 30 years, and he has delivered mail in the Bangor area for five.
"It'll be a long day," Richendolar said. "But it'll be worth it."
After carriers have completed their routes, they meet a volunteer from the community and load the volunteer's personal vehicle with all the food donations.
The volunteers then drop the donations off at a USPS location. For the Greater Bangor area, all the magic happened at the USPS Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Hampden.
There volunteers sort the food items and prepare them for pickup and distribution.
The partnership between the NALC and Heart of Maine United Way combined with efforts from volunteers like Bill Ray, brings helping hands together, giving some families meals they can't afford themselves.
"People are hungry, and the prices of food in the grocery store, as both you and I know it, have gone up," Ray said. "So, to make a choice between paying your rent and buying a gallon of milk for your kids, that's a hard choice."
According to Feeding America, nearly 180,000 people in Maine are food insecure, equaling to 13 percent of the state's overall population.
"It's not who we might picture," Donahue said. "It's really many of our neighbors, many of our co-workers who might be on the brink they might be one crisis away from struggling."
Ray said he helps run the Manna Soup Kitchen in Bangor, and he know people who are counting on the help that the food drive provides.
"This is why I do it," Ray said. "I'm 74 years old, but I don't want to quit. And as long as God gives me breath, I'm going to keep on going."
Mark Rose, who is a letter carrier and the president of the local NALC branch said he's happy he works for a company that is involved in such a great cause.
"It's work, but it feels rewarding to contribute to the community, and the community is contributing back," Rose said.
Although many people hesitate to ask or receive help due to negative stigmas, Donahue said everyone needs support, and sometimes in life, you need it more than others.
"Take the help when you need it. There's no shame and there's no problem with needing help," Donahue said. "People will have challenging times in their lives so take when you need and give when you can."