5.6.2025 - Stamp Out Hunger Press Event

I just wanted to thank you all for coming. This is this is so important to us. Uh as I've said in the past, we just act act as a conduit between for Somerset residents and Westport residents um uh to the important work that the food pantries do in this town and in Somerset and in Westport. They are so grateful when they see our trucks coming on Saturday. Um, a lot of them it

gets them through this period where now the kids are going to be getting out of school. They're going to be having to supply more food than they have in the past. So, this helps them get into those summer months. Uh, so all we ask you to do, simplest thing in the world, is to just put some food outside for us and we will take care of the rest. Uh we're

also blessed to have uh the United Way that for 10 years has helped us um produce bags for this food drive. Um those bags have actually doubled the amount that we normally took in before we had those bags. Uh because we sent out a simple postcard uh but the bags have made a big big difference. Um usually between 50 and 60,000 pounds is what we raise. Uh and every year it

seems we wish that we didn't have to do it. Uh but every year we seem like we get another food pantry that asks us for u food. We have an Episcopal church that's asking us this year. So we hope we get enough so that we can supply the people that we normally do and u uh possibly add them into our group now because we're currently serving in the area 18 food pantries. Uh, so with that,

I'm going to turn it over to Kim from the United Way, who's been so important for us, and she's going to introduce some other people for us. Thank you so much. Thank you, Paul.

Paul has been instrumental in this initiative from the the first day that we got involved 10 years ago uh in in inviting us to um with the United Way initiative that happens nationwide to bring it local and uh with the sponsorships of the bags. It's really um accelerated the the ability for everyone to contribute uh a little or a lot and that is the power of United Way bringing everybody together. So, uh, off the

cuff, there's a little bit of that as my speech. Good morning and thank you all for being here this morning at the main post office in this great city of Fall River that I call home. My name is Kim Smith for those of you who don't know me, and I am the executive director of United Way of Greater Fall River. This is always an exciting and invigorating day for us for several reasons. One, we

come together to thank and celebrate our Stampout Hunger sponsors who are here with us today. And on the bag we have Bank Five. They have been with us since day one. We have Blount Fine Foods, very appropriate sponsor of course. And then St. An's Hospital, Brown University Health, who I also think has been with us since day one as well. So we really have uh continuity and uh continued

support within our community, and we can't be uh any more proud and grateful for our sponsors. The second reason is we remind our neighbors of the simple gesture everyone can participate in united in purpose to address food insecurity. And three, we recognize and celebrate our letter carriers. Without without you, this successful initiative would never happen quite frankly. And I'd like to recognize

and thank Greg Anderson, the manager here of the downtown post office in Fall River. Give a wave. Say Thank you for for letting um your staff and uh and friends and neighbors participate in this. I know it's a lot of work on that Saturday and they're actually already picking up all week long. Um and so uh they do it out of uh love and from their heart and uh with

their muscles and with a lot of help from volunteers. And so we thank you for allowing that to happen as well. this collaborative effort um at appropriate that we have a little song because this collaborative effort always reminds me of the old Sesame Street song, the people in our neighborhood. There's a few of you who are of my generation that know it, but for those of you who don't,

I'll sing a little a little uh piece of it appropriate for today. Paul, sing it with me if you want. Oh, the postman always brings the mail. through rain or sle or snow or hail. He'll work and work the whole day through to get your letter safe to you. Remember that right. Thank you, Encore. Um it's it's interesting. Um and I I can't help but think how that song might resonate

today. I think it would be a little bit different. Uh, I miss those times of the good old neighborhood and and so forth and and there's a whole other there many verses of that um of that song and the firemen and the policemen and so forth and the mayor probably is in that song and we or we could make uh a verse for you, Mayor Coogan. Mayor Coogan's always there. All right.

So, at United Way of Greater Fall River, we're dedicated to harnessing the caring power of individuals across every community we serve to improve health outcomes and create access to youth opportunities, financial security, and community resiliency, which includes access to basic needs such as, say it with me, Patty, a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly. For the 10th consecutive year,

United Way of Greater Fall River is proud to support the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, a powerful initiative that brings neighbors together to address food insecurity across Fall River, Somerset, and parts of Westport.

This Saturday, May 10th, we invite every household to join us by filling out just filling up just one of the 59,000 bags that are going out to households across these communities.

Local letter carriers will collect the bags that you leave by your door and ensure that the food is distributed to area food pantries where it goes directly to those who need it most. With more than one in three children living in poverty and one in five adults struggling with food insecurity in our area, efforts like this matter deeply. A warm meal provides the foundation to move successfully

through your day. And without that nourishment, everyday challenges become even harder to overcome. As letter carriers travel through our neighborhoods, they witness firsthand the realities of hunger and food insecurity. They are not only trusted messengers, but also community ambassadors uniquely positioned to connect with and support those experiencing hardships. Through Stampout

Hunger, they lead the charge, working hand in hand with residents to fill pantry shelves at a time when donations typ typically decline. As we at United Way of Greater Fall River celebrate the 10th year of our commitment to this cause, we know that true change happens when community partners come together in harmony. To that end, we elevate and recognize this year's sponsors, Bank Five, Blount Fine

Foods, and St. Finance Hospital, Brown University Health for standing with us in this effort for all of these years.

Your support directly strengthens our ability to create healthier, more resilient communities. And I'd like to ask Christina Jon who uh will say a few words on behalf of our sponsors.

Christina is uh with Bank Five. She is also our campaign chair this year at United Way of Greater Fall River. And so she doesn't just talk the talk, Christina walks the walk. And we thank you for that. Thank you, Kim. I appreciate that.

I I can tell you that from uh the Bank Five perspective, we're so proud to be part of this initiative each and every year. We've as you said, we've been with you uh since the beginning, but to think about um you know, in our community that there are children that there are adults who are going hungry and that each one of us can make a difference. I, you know, Kim mentioned filling up one of

these bags, but even if it's just one can of soup would make a big difference.

So, I implore you all to make that effort. this coming Saturday and join us in this effort. Thank you, Kim.

Next, I'd like to call up Ken Lec from the Veterans Association of Bristol County to say a few words on behalf of the food pantry distribution centers that are uh receiving these goods and will be giving them to our neighbors in need. Thank you, Ken. Thank you. Uh thank you for having me. Uh again, my name is Ken Levette, the executive de uh director over at the uh Veterans Association of Bristol County. Um I've

been there for three years. Uh and I can only speak to my time uh how much this helps the veteran community as a whole.

Um so I thank you Kim, all of the sponsors. Thank you. U this goes a long way. This helps sustain throughout uh to get us throughout the year. So thank you for that.

Next, I'd ask Mayor Paul Kogan to come up. And Paul, maybe join me here.

Get right in the middle there.

Uh, this is obviously an a tradition that goes on every year in the city of Fall River. Uh, and I just got a text message. I want everyone to know that Atlantic Records called, they want to sign Kim Smith. um they couldn't believe that rendition of uh whatever she sang, but it was it was it was truly spectacular and I just don't know how long we'll be able to keep her. So, I

want to congratulate Kim. Thanks. But I do want to congratulate the postal service for all they do. Uh this is a very important day in the city of Fall River and uh every year they come through to help people in need and it's uh it's very very special and we're going to acknowledge it with a proclamation from the city. Um Paul and his whole crew, the managers, the directors, the letter carriers, the people that load

the trucks, the people that are here all night um do a great job in the city of Fall River and we appreciate it. And our sponsors again, they come through for every event we do in the city of Fall River. So, uh, this doesn't go on without everybody pulling together.

Um, whereas the National Association of Letter Carriers will sponsor a nationwide food drive on May 10th, whereas the NALC program started in 91 and has grown into the largest one-day food collection event in the country.

And in 2024, over 50,000 pounds of food in Fall River and Somerset were collected. The FAR branch 51 letter carriers has worked over the years to provide the services needed to the community helping to feed those in need and the city of for is proud to recognize the significant and important contributions of NALC branch 51 to our community. So therefore, I, Paul Coogan, mayor of the

city of Fall River, do hereby proclaim Saturday, May 10th as letter carriers food drive day. And we encourage all the citizens in the south coast to participate in this very important food drive witnessed by my hand, Paul Coogan.

Um congratulations Paul.

Thank you.

Thank you. Great.

I'd like to at this point ask Mr. Greg Anderson to come up and say a few words on behalf of the post office here local 51. Right. Thank you.

Good morning. Uh Mr. Mayor, uh esteemed members of the press and distinguished guest. Uh my name is Greg Anderson. I am the manager here of the Fall River Post Office. Uh it is both an honor and a privilege to join you today in support of a truly meaningful cause. The national, excuse me, the National Association of Letter Carriers is proud to announce its 31st annual stamp out hunger food drive which will take place

on Saturday, May 10th. Uh we encourage all residents who are able and willing to contribute to do so generously and if possible to give early and often. Last year, thanks to an incredible generosity of the communities in the Fall River in Somerset and Westport, the NALC collected an impressive 50,000 pounds of food to help those in need. Um, for the past decade, the NALC has been fortunate

to partner with the United Way Foundation, whose support and collaboration has helped us near nearly double the amount of food collected during this one-day event. Uh, their continued commitment has been instrumental in expanding the impact of this initiative. Thank you so much, Kevin. Um, in my 16 years with the postal service, uh, I've worked across more than 10 del 10 different delivery

office, and I can confidently say that no one does it quite like the fra post office does. While the food drive may appear to be a single day event, it is the result of months of planning, coordination, and dedication by our carriers and volunteers behind the scene. I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank the members of the NALC, particularly Paul Nar, uh for their tireless efforts and unwavering

dedication year after year. Your commitment does not go unnoticed. Paul has come in on his days off uh unpaid uh spent many of hours after work coordinating this getting together with this and uh your your efforts uh go a long way Paul uh as I had mentioned last year we collected 50,000 pounds of food but I believe we can do better so today I challenge the citizens of Fall River let's aim for 60,000 pounds to share

together we can make a greater impact and help even more families in need.

Thank you.

Do you want to wrap it up? Say a few words. Sure. Okay. So, here we go. So, once again, thank you again. Um, as you mentioned, if someone could put just one can, one can, a 16 can would give us the 50,000 pounds of food that we have. So, we collect from maybe 10 to 20% of the households. If everybody could put out just one can, we'd get that 60, 70,

80,000 pounds just for a single can. So, everybody's got a bag. if they put that one one can out for us, um we would be thrilled. We would be thrilled and the food banks would be thrilled also. So once again, thank you to the sponsors, thank you to the press. We can get the bags out, but the press makes a big difference for us also. Um and uh we hope that it stops raining very early

Thank you again for coming. Thank you so much.

Questions question? Yes. Um, what are some of the agencies locally that you help that you are recognized? Uh, St.

An's food pantry, the Veterans Association, uh, Citizens for Citizens, and Salvation Army, Gates of Hope, Gates of Hope. Um, and actually like Gates of Hope actually runs the Flint for us. They, uh, they staff the dock for us and everything else. So, the food pantries also help us out on that day. Uh but I can actually provide you a full listing of who we give to also if that's going to we do uh four four

pantries in uh Somerset. Uh and there was one in Westport that we do um Angels Anonymous. Uh 18. There's 18. Sorry, but I have a list for you so I can give you a list.

for this time of year.

And people tend to they think of their food pantries when they have their big meals. So they think of it at Thanksgiving. Uh they think of it as Christmas. So I'm sure some of the food pantries will tell you that they get donations at at that time of year. This is that's why the NLC decided this time of year is a good time to do it. Uh because it's just not on top of people's

minds. they're they're into planning vacations or the kids are just getting out of school and things like that. So that's why the NLC thought this would be a good time of year to do it because there are other times a year and as I said the kids are going to be getting out of school. So um some of the food pantries service children so this helps to boost them for that. Um uh and it's

you would be surprised at the number of people that go through those food pantries. Ken was telling me that they have 800 veterans going through their center for food.

It's a sad commentary that we have to have 800 veterans going to take care of to going to look for food at a food pantry, but that's the reality. Um, so that's another reason we do that. But you would be amazed at the number of people that these food pantries service.

Um, some of them once a month, some of them once a week. um uh some of them prepare meals uh for them also. It's just it's amazing the work that these places do and we're very lucky that we have them. We're all one event away from possibly needing them. Um and as you said, I'm out there in the community. I'm sure the man that lived at 100 Hancock Street wasn't planning on his house burning down on

Easter. So, I'm not sure what he's doing now. I have um somebody in the Walmart area that has um uh stage four pancreatic cancer. That's going to affect his family going forward. I'm not sure. I have another one in the Maplewood area that has brain cancer.

That's going to affect his family somehow. So, we see it out there, but we're all just one event away. I will tell you that we have had a couple of uh letter carriers actually use the food pantry. One was a divorce. Now, all of a sudden, there's child support payments.

And now there's a a second rent payment that's got to come due because you were living together and now you're living separately. So I'm grateful that those I've never had to use one, but I'm grateful that they're there because we never know if one of us is going to need them.

Can I can I just ask Ken, can you I just want it was a good lead in for me. Just talk about the you know what you do for veterans at at the center. So uh we do uh a monthly food pantry. They're eligible once every 30 days for a a shopping cart of groceries. Uh but we also have we call it the rescue room and I was explaining that to Paul. Uh where

non-p perishables uh the veterans can come in uh as often as they would like and and and shop in that room. Uh bread, you know, all of the non-p perishables.

We have that. We have our clothing trailer. Uh we do a hot lunch each day.

Uh coffee social. Uh lot a lot going on.

Now, how important is is this to help?

This is this is huge. Like Paul said it perfectly where um at the holiday season we do get a lot of donations. Um and then it kind of dwindles down throughout the year. Uh so this like I said helps get us through the next couple of months of of making sure that people have enough food. And are you seeing um more need as the years come? sitting there for three years. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.

We've uh our numbers unfortunately uh continue to grow. Uh we have on average about 20 new veterans that sign up with us each month um for for the you know for different services. So it just continues to grow. I mean I'm very happy that we're there like Paul said very happy that we're there and we're able to help but it's sad that we need to be there to help.

So, thank you.

Can I add one more thing? As uh you know, we've all said, this is an important time of year, especially as children are getting out of school and the meals that they uh have been provided during the school day are no longer accessible to them and so this provides a great opportunity for them to be able to continue to get nutritious food. A lot of our food pantry partners um also participate in HIPP and SNAP and

they provide educational materials and you know they identify healthy foods or healthier choices and things like that.

So there's a an educational component as well. But I wanted to make sure that folks knew uh in addition that the United Way of Greater Fall River houses a food pantry chart uh on our website that you can access at any time 247 and it has clickable links for each of the food pantry partners within the greater Fall River area. And so, you know, as Ken said, um some some of them they

they're open for a meal uh each day, but the pantries once a month. Um, and we have food pantry partners that range from uh cupboards uh to full-on soup kitchens where folks come and and get a warm meal and everything in between. And the hours are um all over the place, if you will. Uh but there is something seven days a week, whether it's in the morning. Uh we do have a few folks now

who are open in the evenings because we identified that as a gap uh where uh working families now are having to access food pantries. And so it's definitely different than it has been in the past. Um so if folks need they can access that food pantry chart just uh you can Google United Way of Greater Fall River and the food chart will pop up uh or just go to our website. Um but

again I'll close with just by saying um if as you heard Paul speak from his heart and he he talked about this family living in the Walmart area and this family in Maplewood that is a personal connection that is made by our letter carriers. And so if you happen to be out on Saturday morning when your your your mail person, your postal carrier is coming to pick up your bag, get out of

your house, step outside and give them a smile and say thank you. I kind of embarrassed my postal carrier. I know that's no surprise to you, Mayor Kogan, just given who I am. But I asked my postal carrier to take a photo with me.

We did a selfie and then I posted it just to try to encourage other folks to um and honestly I think He was uh he was happy to do it. But um a thank you and a smile goes a long way not only to our postal carriers but to our neighbors in need. And that's what we're all about.

Neighbors helping neighbors united in purpose. So thank you all.