The Bag of Food Right By Your Mail Box

Next Saturday is November 14.  Do you know what happens on Nov. 14?  Yup, there are a bunch of college football games on TV and one at University Stadium vs. a Top 25 team (BYU).  Perhaps there is a fall harvest festival somewhere in the Albuquerque metro area.

But as you wander onto the streets, you might notice your mail carrier with an extra load in his or her vehicle.  That's because Saturday is also the annual food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association.

On that day, your friendly postal carrier will not only deliver your mail but will also pick up your donation of food.  (Please ignore the date on the illustration.  It's from another year).  Please be sure to leave a bag with non-perishable goodies by your mail box.  To make it easier for you, look for a special bag enclosed with the Albuquerque Journal on Thursday, Nov. 12.

While you might have extra food in your pantry, please be sure that it's not expired before you put it in the bag. Better yet, I would recommend that you pick up extra non-perishable items like cans of tuna, beans and vegetables, along with peanut butter, when you do your shopping this weekend.  Or perhaps you can make an extra trip to the grocery store and spend about $10 on food to donate.

In Albuquerque, the food will go to Roadrunner Food Bank.  This year, the donations are very important, the food bank said in a newsletter.

Roadrunner Food Bank needs your help as we experience unprecedented demand.  Individuals who been laid off or had their hours reduced are experiencing hunger and are seeking food assistance for the first time. The agencies who serve are reporting 30 to 50 percent increases of individuals who need help with food. This holiday season more and more of our neighbors here in New Mexico need your help.

Roadrunner recently released a touching video featuring some of the clients who receive the food and the people who serve them.

Speaking of Roadrunner Food Bank, the Oct. 23 edition of "In Focus," hosted by Weekly Alibi columnist Gene Grant, had a segment on the organization.  The piece, which ran on KNME, Channel 5, was produced in cooperation with two other PBS stations. 

The segment on the food bank is preceded by an interesting discussion between Mr. Grant and Timothy Krebs, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico, about the recently ended special session for the New Mexico State Legislature. Prof. Krebs also talked about the 2010 regular session. "Next year is going to be a really tough in terms of the budget situation." This could possibly mean cuts in programs that help poor and hungry people in our state.