May 18, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
The National Association of Letter Carriers held its annual food drive last weekend -- with widespread participation among Hingham residents, whose donations benefit the Hingham Food Pantry.
This effort, which began in 1983, helps feed millions of Americans, including individuals and families living in Hingham who are struggling to put food on their tables during these challenging times.
Hingham residents wishing to contribute food placed their donations near their mailboxes for pickup by their letter carriers while completing their routes last Saturday. Because of the large amount of donations, some letter carriers didn't finish for the day until nearly 6 p.m.
Resident Tom Hoffman rented a U-Haul truck, and -- with assistance from a group of Hingham Little League players and their parents -- picked up the donations at the Hingham post office loading dock and delivered three truckloads to the Lynch Field field house to be sorted this week by volunteers.
"There were so many donations that the big room is now stuffed with food," Hoffman told the Hingham Anchor.
Food Pantry volunteers Donna Ragusa and Liz Fitzsimons helped sort the nine tables-worth of food that was collected. "Ten or 12 volunteers from the wider community helped us date check the donations and sort it by type into milk crates and large boxes. We received a huge amount of food," Ragusa said.
Later this week, Hingham Little League volunteers will help load the U-Haul truck and deliver the sorted donations to the Hingham Food Pantry, where more volunteers will fill the shelves.
"A lot of people don't realize that there is a need in Hingham, but there is," Ragusa said. "I feel it's a worthwhile use of my time to volunteer, and I appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community."
Hingham Food Pantry Executive Director Susan Kiernan told the Hingham Anchor, "We are so thankful that the Letter Carriers Drive is back [following the pandemic]. It's a wonderful, townwide drive that supports the pantry as we prepare for summer, our leanest donation season," she said. "The timing is perfect! It is yet another occasion for us to be grateful for the support of the community, the letter carriers, and the many hands of all ages that move the food from the post office to the food pantry, with a few detours along the way."
The Hingham Food Pantry, which supports more than 160 local families annually, has been fully operational throughout the pandemic. "We did see an earlier increase in the number of families that we serve, although things seem more constant now," Kiernan said. "We are expecting another increase, however, as prices soar."
Thanks to the NALC drive -- with full participation by Hingham letter carriers -- and several others that will be held in the next few weeks, the Hingham Food Pantry will be well-supplied with many non-perishables. There is still a need for one-pound bags of sugar, two- and five-pound bags of flour, pasta sauce, nuts, dried fruit, and cookies.
For more details, check out the Hingham Food Pantry Facebook page.