Post office holds 10th food drive

Local post office letter carriers already carry quite a bit on their backs.

This Saturday they hope their loads will be even larger as they participate in the 10th annual “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.”

“It’s a good thing for Williams and gives us an opportunity to help out our community,” said Vicki Ulrich, postmaster at Williams Post Office.

Williams’ carriers will join United States Postal Service carriers across the nation in collecting non-perishable food donations at the same time they deliver mail. Customers should leave non-perishable food items in bags near their mailboxes before their carrier arrives.

The National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive is the largest one-day drive in the nation. Last year, state letter carriers collected more than 1.4 million pounds of food, which is enough to provide approximately 430,000 meals for hungry Arizona children and adults.

“As letter carriers we get to see, firsthand, the hardship and despair that denies families even the basic necessities of life,” said Ken Roberts, Phoenix Letter Carrier and Food Drive Coordinator for Branch 576 of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). “It may mean a heavier mail satchel and maybe a few sore muscles, but the burden will be eased by knowing that our efforts will help feed families in need.”

Carriers across the nation collected 70.1 million pounds of food last year. All donations will be delivered to community food banks, traditionally bare this time of year, to help local families in need. Last year, the collection went to the Coconino

Services Food Bank located in the Bill Williams Senior Center.

Renown “Family Circus” cartoonist and Valley of the Sun resident Bil Keane provides a special cartoon annually for the food drive, which is sent to many residents reminding them of the upcoming event. The food drive is held in more than 10,000 cities and towns throughout the states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The NALC Food Drive is the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

Cancellation

A special pictorial cancellation is heading to Williams to commemorate the May “A Day Out With Thomas” event. The cancellation can be obtained by visiting the temporary post office station located on the Grand Canyon Railway’s Thomas the Tank Engine event grounds on May 10, 11, 17 and 18.

Those who cannot attend the event, but who wish to obtain the cancellation, may submit a mail order request. Pictorial cancellations are available only for the dates indicated and request must be postmarked no more than 30 days from the event.

Customers who want a mail order cancellation must affix stamps (34 cent for letters and 21 cent for regulation post cards) to any envelope or post card, enclose it in a larger envelope and send to: PICTORIAL CANCELLATIONS, followed by “A DAY OUT WITH THOMAS STATION,” PO BOX 9998, WILLIAMS, AZ 86046-9998. (Use all caps).

New contact

The residents in Valle will soon have access to an expanded post service presence.

“On the 15th we’re opening a contract station in Valle,” said ???. “Sandra and Robert Carson, owners of Double Eagle Trading Company, are doing it as a community service post office.

“Hopefully, not long after that we’ll be delivering.”

The contract station located at 575 US Highway 180, on the corner of State Route 64 and 180, and will sell stamps, money orders and help with mailing packages. Shipping international letters will be available however, international packages will still need to be brought to Williams. When mailing to the area use the 86046 zip code but address the letters or packages to Valle.