HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Highland Park letter carriers delivered nearly 2,000 bags of food to the Moraine Township Food Pantry on Sunday. It marked the 25th annual National Association of Letter Carriers' Food Drive, which is held on the second Saturday of May each year. Over the course of the afternoon and early evening, close to 40 volunteers joined local letter carriers to help unload food, carry it to the pantry's basement and sort it into bins.

"This was a tremendous effort on the part of our Highland Park Letter Carriers, organized by Joe Cholewa. Letter carriers stayed after unloading their trucks to help carry and sort food, and their effort was far above and beyond the call of duty and deeply appreciated," said Township Supervisor Anne Flanigan Bassi.

"We have never had a food drive like this," noted Township Trustee Amy Zisook. "Every square inch of our office and pantry is filled with food. We are amazed!"

Township trustees thanked all residents who left food contributions by their mailbox for letter carriers to bring to Moraine Township's Food Pantry.

The Township relies on a corps of volunteers who make it possible for the Food Pantry to serve our residents in need," said Moraine Township Clerk Gail Feiger Brown. "Volunteers and Letter Carriers, including the wonderful Boy Scout Troup #324, made countless trips to the basement carrying bags of food."

The spring drive is especially important to help stock up the shelves of the food pantry for the summer, when there are fewer community food drives donating food but no slowdown in the number of needy residents who rely on it.

Moraine Township's Food Pantry serves income-qualified residents who are invited to visit our food pantry twice a month to receive shelf-stable food items, plus produce, dairy and frozen meat.

The Food Pantry is located at 777 Central Avenue in Highland Park, and open Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm (plus other times by appointment to accommodate residents' work schedules).

"We are fortunate to live in a community of workers and residents who care about residents going through difficult times, and this drive demonstrates the care and compassion of our residents who both contributed food and pitched in to volunteer," said Trustee Dwayne Douglas.

Location of Moraine Township Food Pantry in Highland Park (Google Maps):


» via Moraine Township

Top photo: Highland Park letter carriers | Courtesy Moraine Township

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