Stamp Out Hunger 2011 Boca Helping Hands receives 14,836 Pounds of Canned Goods!!

Stamp Out Hunger 2011



 Boca Helping Hands receives 14,836 Pounds of Canned Goods!!!!

All across America, the U.S. Post Office dedicated Saturday, May 14 to "stamp out hunger" by collecting canned goods as each postal worker completed his/her route. Locally, the Boca Raton Post Office designated Boca Helping Hands (as well as Salvation Army and the Wayne Barton Study Center) as recipients.

The event took on the proportions of a small invasion! All afternoon and into the evening, a small army of volunteers lifted, carried, categorized and trucked canned goods from the Spanish Isles Postal Annex to Boca Helping Hands. When the last can was stored in the warehouse, we had received an astounding 14,836 pounds of canned goods!!!! Members of St. Jude Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Tuesday Morning Go-Givers Networking Group met at the Post Office with the task of emptying each postal truck as it returned home. Let's put this into perspective...from 3:30 until 5:30...some 55 postal trucks returned to the office...fully loaded with canned goods that needed to off-loaded and then separated into bins, and loaded onto the BHH truck. That means each truck had to be emptied in approximately two and a half minutes...roughly the same time it will take you to read this e-mail.

Back at BHH headquarters, another group of young volunteers from the Caron Renaissance Center had the task of emptying the bins when they were taken off the BHH truck...which would then be sent back to the Post Office for the next shipment. The work went long into the night. We finally locked the warehouse and shut down the operation at 9:30 P.M. We were bone tired...see final paragraph below!

The 2011 drive to Stamp Out Hunger could not have succeeded without some amazing individuals. We want to thank...

Laurie Miale and the U.S. Postal Service for their willingness to donate their canned goods directly to BHH.

Cindy and the team at the Spanish Isles Postal Annex for their cooperation.

Luz and her team of volunteers from the Salvation Army. It was a pleasure to work with them as we all pitched in and loaded each other's trucks all day long. 

St. Jude Roman Catholic Church...and the dads, moms and children who came out. 

Caron Renaissance Center for their youthful enthusiasm. 

Darrin, Sheree, Jane, Dr. Mark and the rest of the Tuesday Go-Givers who did whatever we asked them to. Darrin is STILL probably unloading a truck somewhere.

Dr. Eric Shaw who came by twice to lend a hand and thank the volunteers.

Joan Sappenfield who came in on Saturday afternoon to help where needed.

My daughter Evangelia...who was still in the warehouse marking out bar codes at 9:15 P.M., when she should have been in bed.

Sally Wells who coordinated the entire operation.

and finally...the citizens of Boca Raton who gave so generously.

When we went finally home Saturday night, our muscles were aching, our backs were shot, and our arms were hanging limp. But a wise old man once told me the difference between "good" tired and "bad" tired. Bad tired is when you go home exhausted...but you spent all day working only for yourself. Good tired is when you go home exhausted, but you spent all day working to benefit someone else. You may not win every battle...but when you give your life towards easing the suffering of others, THAT'S good tired. I think we all agree...on Saturday Night, we were good tired!