'Overwhelming' Response to Letter Carriers Food Drive in Oak Forest

OAK FOREST, IL -- Residents of Oak Forest provided an "overwhelming" response to the Letter Carriers Food Drive in 2017, well surpassing the donation goal organizers had in mind and gathering enough food to stock not only the food pantry at St. Damian but other pantries in the area as well.

"I would have been happy with 12,000 pounds," Denise Holub, a retired letter carrier and organizer of the drive in Oak Forest, said. "Well we got 21,500 pounds."

Holub credits the additional attention the city, local businesses and media put on the drive for the huge increase in donations for the nationwide drive held on May 13. The city enacted a proclamation to spread the word and the AARP "at the last minute contributed grocery bags to all our residents," Holub said.

Nearly all were filled to the brim with food the morning of the drive.

Foremost Liquor had helped the drive with another $1,000 donation by purchasing food from Aldi. Holub said they have done this for 20 years.

"Even with a new owner (Vipul Joshi) this year, they continue to support the community," she said. "They have done this without us even approaching them. They truly are concerned about the needy in our community."

"The residents of Oak Forest are truly caring people and I am honored to say that I have had the privilege to get to know many of them through the years."

Photo: Foremost Liquors donated 2,000 pounds of food to the drive on their own this year / Photo provided