Last Saturday, area families donated 47,549 pounds of food to support local hunger relief. The annual Postal Food Drive is part of the National Association of Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" campaign, which collects tens of thousands of pounds of food each year to supply local food assistance efforts.
Distributed to Community Action House, Gateway Mission, Resilience: Advocates for Ending Violence, and Salvation Army of Holland, food donations allow these groups to support the 1 in 9 families in Ottawa County who struggle to meet basic needs.
80+ volunteers gathered at the Hope College DeVos Fieldhouse parking lot on Saturday, working as volunteer drivers and food sorters from 9am-6pm to help collect and process donated food. As the largest food drive for these organizations each year, collected items go a long way to help local agencies provide food throughout the year.
“This was my first year being part of the Postal Food Drive, and it was so powerful to see in person. It was incredible to witness the outpouring of support from the community - the number of people who showed up as volunteers, and who donated food. There’s nothing else quite like it, where the community comes together for one common goal,” shared Allie Egrin, Community Action House’s Development Manager. “During a time of year that’s slower for donation drives, Postal Food Drive items help sustain our services through the spring and summer, so our guests can get the food they need.”
While the event is over, food donations are still being dropped off at Community Action House. If you would like to donate, food items can be taken to 739 Paw Paw Drive, Holland. The drive accepts non-perishable food items. Some recommended items are: masa, coconut milk, curry pastes and spices, chickpeas, dried chili peppers, flour, unsalted nuts, jasmine rice, canned soup, beans and chili, healthy cooking oil, nutritional shakes, lentils and pinto beans.
Financial donations, which will support food purchases at each of the four organizations, can be made online at communityactionhouse.org/stampouthunger.
About Community Action House
Community Action House is a locally-founded, locally-funded nonprofit with a mission to provide families and individuals with food, clothing, shelter and the opportunity to build necessary skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life. Founded in 1969, the 501(c)3 nonprofit serves the Ottawa and Allegan County community from a base in Holland, offering several programs, including their Food Club, Community Kitchen, Resource Navigation, Financial Wellness & Homeownership, and Homeless Outreach efforts. Learn more and get involved at www.communityactionhouse.org. Food Club is a 2021 expansion of Community Action House’s service offerings. More on the Food Club model can be found at www.hzfoodclub.org.
Contact:
Katy Russner-Travis | katyrt@communityactionhouse.org | (616) 392-2368 ext. 140Community Action House |739 Paw Paw Drive, Holland,MI 49423
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