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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...00295359799.txt

Volunteers assist with Salvation Army food drive

By Ilene Haluska
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, May 13, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — More than 60 volunteers took part in the National Association of Letter Carriers' annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive at the Michigan City Salvation Army center Saturday.

"It's hard work," said DeNita Ton, community service director for the Salvation Army.

Ton explained that the letter carriers are not expected to get overtime, so the Salvation Army tries to send drivers to pick up food directly from the trucks when possible.

Jim Dove, president of the Michigan City Local Letter Carriers, showed his truck nearly half full by 11 a.m., and he was only half done with his route in Trail Creek. He said the residents are very generous for helping out with the food drive and Dove was very grateful for that.

If letter carriers weren't picking up the food from residences and volunteers from the U.S. Mail trucks, volunteers were unloading trucks at the Salvation Army, greeting folks, or were found in the Salvation Army basement untying each plastic bag and sorting food into crates that lined the walls and spread out on tables for canned beans, peas and corn and boxes of cereal and dry goods.

"We want to certainly thank the carriers and volunteers," said Major Brian Burkett, director of the Michigan City Salvation Army. "We know it's definitely hard work." He said the food donated today will last a month. Last year, the Letter Carriers drive pulled in seven tons of food. By 3 p.m. Saturday, the scale total registered six tons, and they still expect more Monday from the Post Office.

"There's an air of excitement around here, especially when food is coming in," Ton said. The Salvation Army feeds 800 families a month and shares the incoming food with local, smaller, food panties and soup kitchens in Michigan City.

"The shelves are empty, the freezers are empty," Ton said. "We usually try to buy chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs. Sometimes we don't have any money to buy meat, so they only get canned goods and boxed goods."

The Salvation Army has nine freezers and three refrigerator freezers, said Diane Swaine, Salvation Army Case Worker.

"So if someone would like to buy us $2,000 in meat, that would be wonderful," Swaine said. "We'll pick it up."