[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 97 (Thursday, June 12, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS BRANCH 1477 TOPS NATION IN FOOD 
                               COLLECTION

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                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2008

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, for the second straight year, 
the men and women of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 
1477 of St. Petersburg, Florida, led the Nation in food collection as 
part of the national ``Stamp Out Hunger'' food drive.
  Their chapter alone collected a local record of 1,718,218 pounds of 
food that has been distributed to Pinellas County food banks. St. 
Petersburg Branch 1477, combined with two other local branches: 
Clearwater Branch 2008 and Tampa Branch 599, collected in the Tampa Bay 
area 4,289,416 pounds, more food than in any other geographic area in 
the Nation. In fact, these three chapters accounted for three of the 
top five branch totals nationally.
  Having spent Memorial Day with many members of Branch 1477, I know of 
the great pride they have in serving their community. They acknowledge 
that the ``Stamp Out Hunger'' food drive was an outstanding partnership 
between the National Association of Letter Carriers, the United States 
Postal Services, the American Postal Workers Union, the National Rural 
Letter Carrier's Association, and local businesses including Valpak, a 
major sponsor in my area. Most importantly though, the level of success 
of this annual drive is due to the compassion and support of the 
residents of our local communities who place bag after bag of food out 
at their mail box on this one day of the year to help their neighbors 
in need.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in thanking the National Association of 
Letter Carriers for taking the initiative to sponsor the ``Stamp Out 
Hunger'' program for these past 16 years and in congratulating the 
letter carriers of Branch 1477 who serve from Dunedin through Largo, 
Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg and south to Punta Gorda, Florida, for 
once again topping the Nation in the collection of food. This program 
is in the finest American tradition of neighbor helping neighbor.




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