Area mail carriers collect goods for local food banks

GAINESVILLE - When area postal carriers deliver your mail Saturday, they'd also like to pick something up.

The U.S. Postal Service is collecting canned goods from customers along postal routes as carriers make their regular rounds. It's something mail carriers have done every Mother's Day weekend for the last several years.

Kevin Cook, who works for the Gainesville post office, also serves as the vice-president of the National Association of Letter carriers.

"For Gainesville, last year was our biggest year," said Cook. "We collected just over 16,000 pounds."

Cook advises patrons to leave donations in a bag or box next to mailboxes.

He says all of the food goes to the Chattahoochee Baptist Association's Good Samaritan program, which in turn distributes the donations to food banks in the area.