Local letter carriers are again urging people to fill up sacks or boxes with food for the 17th annual National Association of Letter Carriers National Food Drive to be held Saturday. The interim postmaster for Tifton’s United State Post Office said Monday that she supports the effort wholeheartedly.

“I think the food drive is very important this year with the economic situation,” said Faye P. Slappey. “There are people out there who really need it.”

It is not unusual for letter carriers to collect over 12,000 pounds of food from the people they serve on the day of the annual event. Slappey said that cards will be placed in the boxes of those who have their mail delivered in the city and rural areas of the county and in the post office boxes of those who have them there.

Tift County residents who wish to participate in the drive may place non-perishable food items such as canned goods, pasta, rice and cereal, in a bag and leave it by their mailboxes on Saturday. Those who wish may also deliver the goods to the dock at the Tifton post office and volunteers will take it from there. All of the food collected will be sorted by United Way volunteers and distributed to either the Tifton Soup Kitchen or to the Tifton Food Bank.

People who are donating food should place the package as close to their mailboxes as possible so that the carriers won’t overlook it. If possible, they should hang the bag of food on the mailbox. Donations that are missed on Saturday will be picked up on Monday.

The United Way of South Central Georgia distributes the food using a referral system to ensure that it goes to those who truly need it.

Slappey said that she has worked for the United States Postal Service for 20 years. She lives in Sumner and during her work with the U.S.P.S. she has held various positions, including the post master position in Sylvester, Americus, Ocilla, Fitzgerald and Enigma. She is currently considered Americus’ postmaster and is now serving as interim postmaster for the Tifton office until the U.S.P.S. lifts the hiring freeze.

“It’s going to be hard to get rid of me from here,” Slappey said. “I have the greatest people here to work for me. I’m very excited to be here. Tifton is a nice town.

“The postal service is all about providing service. That’s all we have to offer. We are having the same financial difficulties as other businesses are now and we are in competition. We have competitive prices and the service that people expect.”