Volunteers Needed for Big Bend ‘Second Harvest’ Event

America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend is looking for volunteers to help sort food for one of their biggest national campaigns.

Second Harvest of the Big Bend in conjunction with Campbell’s Soup and The United States Postal Service are partnering with the Association of Letter Carriers to sponsor the event, “Stamp Out Hunger.”

This is the nation’s largest “single-day food drive.” Participants will place bags filled with nonperishable food items next to their mailbox and the letter carrier will pick it up and deliver them to local food banks such as Second Harvest of the Big Bend.

In order to prepare for the Stamp Out Hunger event scheduled for May 14, the Second Harvest of the Big Bend is having an event called “Young People Care Too.” April 28 through April 30 various young community leaders from high school and college will come out and help sort food at the warehouse.

This event is to show the community that young community leaders care about the less fortunate and are willing to donate their time for a good cause.

The non-profit organization relies heavily on volunteers to help carry out various duties throughout the community. Their mission is to feed the hungry in the Big Bend through their network of partner agencies, and to educate and engage the community in the fight against hunger. The goal is to have at least 15 people per day to help sort and organize food as well as hang up posters.

“Before we can heavily promote the Stamp Out hunger event, we have to locally promote our event first. Our warehouse is overstocked and we won’t have room for food we get in from Stamp Out Hunger, if we don’t get volunteers to help us sort and move some of this food,” said Charvelle McClendon, the volunteer coordinator at Second Harvest of the Big Bend.

Flyers will be sent out, schools will be contacted, and e-mail blast will be sent out by Second Harvest of the Big Bend to get volunteers.

Young People Care Too will begin on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will take place the same time on Friday, Aug. 29. The last day of the event is Saturday, April 30 from 9a.m.to 1p.m.

“The more volunteers we receive, the faster the process will be. We are asking everyone to come and get involved it’s not just limited to young people. Anyone who is willing to help we need you”, said McClendon.

For more information about Young People Care Too or Stamp Out Hunger, contact Charvelle McClendon at cmcclendon@fightinghunger.org or 850-562-3033 Ext. 211.