Photo provided Having collected more than two tons of non-perishable food items during the recent Postal Carrier Food Drive, Pine Island Food Pantry volunteers are kept busy on May 8, collecting, sorting and weighing donations. Pictured are pantry volunteers, Lyle “Buzz” La Plante, David Grueser, Mary Grueser, Peg Cruckshank, Roy Cruckshank, Christine Sallstrom, Marti Carss and Elsie Edwards.

Struggling families will not go hungry this summer thanks to the recent Postal Carrier Food Drive. According to Pine Island Food Pantry volunteers, on Saturday, May 8, postal workers and volunteers collected 5,851 pounds of non-perishable food items.

“There aren’t enough words to express our appreciation. The words that come to mind are wonderful, unbelievable and most of all successful and while it involved a great deal of work, we are very pleased with the response from our Pine Island neighbors and volunteers,” said Pantry treasurer, Barb La Plante. “Our sincere thanks to the postal workers of Pine Island for the day that they donated to the people of Pine Island. I had the pleasure of riding along with one of the carriers and now I know what they go through every day that they make their deliveries. It makes you appreciate what they have to do six days a week and, on May 8, not only did they deliver the Pine Island mail, but they would stop to pick up the food that Pantry volunteers did not collect at that point. You always appreciate more, when you have to walk in someone else’s foot steps.”

La Plante also expressed her gratitude to the Postmasters of St. James City, Bokeelia and Pineland as well.

Aiding the postal carriers with food donation pick up were 13 pantry volunteers.

“Our volunteers worked the streets of Pine Island, helping the mail carriers pick up the donations placed at the mailboxes by the island residents,” said La Plante. “Some of these same volunteers also made numerous runs to the Bokeelia and St. James post offices picking up truck loads of food that had been brought in by the postal carriers.”

According to La Plante, 24 volunteers worked during the food drive at the pantry at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church.

“The volunteers at the pantry worked from 9:30 that morning until 5:30 p.m. collecting, weighing and storing the food,” La Plante said. “And believe me, by the end of the day we all felt as though we had all handled every ounce of the entire two and a half tons of food that was brought in.”

Summer months can be particularly difficult for food pantry volunteers as well as those who rely on assistance for a variety of reasons.

“During the summer months our donations dwindle as our snowbird population departs and with children home for summer break, the need rises, so this really makes for a challenge in keeping with our mission to see that no one should go hungry,” La Plante said. “Even with this successful food drive, continued contributions will be needed throughout the summer months, and we feel sure that we can rely on the generosity of the island organizations and individuals to help us help those in need.”

Pantry drop-off sites include the Pine Island Winn-Dixie, the Matlacha Post Office, S.W. Capital Bank, Edward Jones, Pine Island VFW and American Legion.

The Food Pantry, at 12175 Stringfellow Road in Bokeelia, is open on Monday and Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. when donations will be accepted. Those in need of assistance from the pantry or for more information about making a donation or volunteering, call 283-1979.