Saturday food drive aims for 40,000 pounds

The annual letter carriers' food drive begins on Saturday, and organizers say they want to break the mark of 30,000 pounds of food they have consistently collected in years past.

Those making a donation should leave their non-perishable items such as canned soup or cereal in a sack by their mail box Saturday before 9 a.m., said Jerry Cremer, a retired postal worker who helps coordinate the effort for the Jefferson City area and surrounding towns.

"We've been running about 30,000 ... but if we could break this 30,000 barrier I would be very happy," said Cremer, who has coordinated the effort for about eight years. "I'm gonna shoot for 40,000 this year."

Cremer who organizes the food collection for Jefferson City, Lohman, Centertown, Holt's Summit, Linn, Russellville, Eugene and Henley said all the food collected in Jefferson City will be donated to the Samaritan Center.

Marylyn DeFeo, volunteer executive director of the Samaritan Center said the food that comes to the center on Saturday will start going out the following Monday to needy families who come to the center.

DeFeo suggested people think of kids who won't have their breakfast and lunch provided at school during the summer months and may not have their parents at home to prepare their meals

"Think of things a child can fix ... Cereal, soup, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly," DeFeo said.

She said the center prefers items in plastic jars and noted that outgrown baby items such as baby food and diapers would be appreciated.

nfieleke@newstribune.com