MAIL CARRIERS SET DAY TO COLLECT FOOD

Cape Girardeau mail carriers will be doing double-duty Saturday, May 13.

"We'll be delivering the mail and collecting food for charity," Karl Robinson said.

Robinson of the Cape Girardeau Post Office is coordinator for the local food drive.

This is the first year for the drive, he said, adding that food drives have been conducted by letter carriers in past years, but only on individual branch campaigns.

The drive went nationwide in 1993, endorsed by the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO, with more than 250 branches participating. That drive netted more than 12 million pounds of food for various charities.

A year later, in 1994, 774 branches with 177,000 carriers, collected 32 million pounds of food, and earned the President's Volunteer Action Award.

"A total of 900 branches have already indicated they will participate in the 1995 drive," Robinson said. Groups in Carbondale, Ill., and Paducah, Ky., are among those participating.

"The food stays in the area," Robinson said. "Each year, we will designate recipients."

The food collected by Branch 1015 in Cape Girardeau this year will be distributed to the Salvation Army and FISH.

Residents will be asked to place non-perishable food in or by their mailboxes on May 13.

"The food may be attached to the mailbox in a plastic bag, or left beside the box," Robinson said. "If the food is placed inside the mailbox, the residents should raise their box flag."

A receptacle will also be placed in the post office lobby, where food may be dropped off, Robinson said.