This year, 15-plus tons of food were collected in the U.S. Postal Service’s annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive after a frantic day of sorting involving all letter carriers, 150 volunteers of all ages and trucks of all sizes.
“I am always fascinated with this,” said Joanne MacDonald, gesturing toward the stacks of boxes and hundreds of plastic bags filled with foodstuffs in front of Sebastian’s Main Street Post Office on a hot May Saturday. MacDonald is a volunteer with The Lord’s Table Soup Kitchen.
On the designated Saturday, May 10, postal carriers across the country collect not only mail but previously delivered plastic bags, filled with canned food donated by residents on their postal routes. Extra cars and trucks follow the carriers to collect the generous overflow – and there is always lots of overflow.
In the Sebastian area, the food is distributed to local food pantries including The River Fund, Abiding Presence International, The Ecumenical Food Pantry and The Lord’s Table Soup Kitchen in Fellsmere.
Coordinating the frantic activity was Meredith McElroy, who moved non-stop from one work station to the next. During a brief pause, she acknowledged with a laugh that “this is five hours of organized chaos!” and off she went. It did, indeed, feel chaotic, and it was most certainly well organized.
As cars and trucks filled with bags of donations lined up next to sorting tables along the post office driveway, volunteers with clipboards checked them off as others unloaded the food. At the tables, volunteers had prepared sturdy donated cardboard boxes, ready to be filled. Yet another crew lugged the boxes to the waiting trucks, or place smaller containers in orange postal carts and wheeled them to waiting transportation.
Among the energetic volunteer groups laboring on the hot still day were members of Boy Scout Troop 598 and the Sebastian River High School football team. Miguel Sepulveda, Garrett Staumbaugh, Ronald Freeman, and Chris Slunt tirelessly toted box after box from sorting table to truck, alongside Assistant Coach Trey Pettis. The team has volunteered here before, and Pettis says, “We want to help our community and the ones not as privileged as we are … anything to help and give a hand. As much support as the team gets from the community, we want to give back.” The players, he notes, are there purely on a volunteer basis.
Indian River Charter High School student Gessner Pantley was there for the second year. “It’s a pretty awesome place to be volunteering,” he saod. IRCHS classmates Rebecca Vollmann, Aisha Lopez, Megan Witt, Abi Rose and Taylor Zieglar were also volunteering for their second year.
“It’s a good thing,” they agreed as they loaded and stacked. “A way we can be part of the community and make an impact. If you have the time, why not give? It’s a fun way of working out our (school-required) community service. And the community does so much for us.”
Lakinda Slaughter of Abiding Presence watched truck after truck unload. “Oh, wow! This is my first year coming out here, and it is such a blessing to see everyone coming together. It’s awesome!”
Joe Planeta and George Decker of Sebastian United Methodist Church were hard at work loading boxes into the back of a truck. “The church has been doing this for about 10 years,” says Bill Osborne.
Numerous local businesses have donated in many ways to the event, including providing plenty of water and food. “This chicken is great!” said Jack Shepard of St. Elizabeth’s Church, taking a short break beneath a tree. “This is my third year.”
Among the numerous sponsors providing support were the City of Sebastian, Giuseppe’s Restaurant; Reliable Poly John; McDonald’s; KFC; JP Matty’s; Stone Creek Pizza; MoBay Grill; Publix; Pizzo’s Italian Deli; Sebastian Office Supply; Hogan and Son’s; Jong’s Produce; Squid Lips; Affordable Water; Acorn Storage; Idea Gardens; Vic’s Italian Restaurant; Woody’s BBQ; Hogan & Sons; Pelican Diner; Dunkin Donuts; Hale Groves; Sebastian Gym ; Marsh Landing; J.D.’s Corner Diner; White Glove Storage.
“Sebastian is a special place,” said volunteer and Sebastian Mayor Bob McPartlan. “To see the community coming together warms my heart. And,” he added with a grin, referring to the ample supply of food provided for the volunteers, “My hunger was sure stamped out!”