Keep those canned goods coming!

Did you remember to put your canned goods out for your postal carrier on Saturday? It's the kind of thing I might often forget, but not this time. We contributed several cans of tuna, chicken breast and lemon pudding for the cause.

Later in the week, I had the opportunity to write a story about the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, and the last report I heard was that more than 140,000 pounds of canned goods were collected.

http://www.bradenton.com/news/story/1435937.html

Nancy Thurkettle, who coordinates the postal carrier drive, said the support was heart-warming, and marveled that if every household put out at least one canned-good item, what a mountain of food that might be.

I can't remember a time when it seemed so possible that any of us could find ourselves in the predictament of needing help feeding our families.

Depending on the post office, postal carriers delivered their goods collected to either the Food Bank of Manatee or St. Joseph's Church. I had a pretty good idea about the scope of the wonderful work done by the Food Bank of Manatee, but I didn't know so much about St. Joseph's. It was eye-opening the scope of the pantry operation there.

As Kristen Theisen of the Food Bank noted, however, Saturday was a great day, but the need is so immense that unfortunately local hunger is far from defeated.

For everyone who gave, good job! And those who forgot, contact your favorite food pantry. They would love to hear from you!

Jim