By Beth David, Editor
This year’s national food drive brought 4,280 pounds of food to the Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet on 5/9/26. The National Association of Letter Carriers food drive is the largest one-day food drive in the nation, and began in 1993.
The amount is up from last year’s 3,860, but still not up to 2024’s 4,680 pounds. Not that pantry director, Gerry Payette, would ever complain. He is grateful for every pound.
And he is grateful to the volunteers who show up week after week to sort food, pack food, and help hand out food to those who need it.
“We are so blessed to have all the volunteers for 26 years,”said Mr. Payette. “All not paid.”
In it’s 34th year, the food drive has collected an estimated 1.94 billion pounds total.
The food collected in Fairhaven was taken to the postal annex on Pequod Road by letter carriers, and then by truck to the pantry.
At the pantry, a group of about a dozen volunteers unloaded the truck and stacked it. Volunteers will then check expiration dates on every item, sort and bag them for distribution.
The Shepherd’s Pantry distributes food on Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m., 1215 Main Street, Acushnet, at the Long Plain United Methodist Church.
It is staffed completely by volunteers. If you would like to donate your time as a volunteer, you can call the pantry at 508-763-9289. If you would like to donate funds, send to P.O. 760, Fairhaven, MA 02719. There is a bin at the Millicent Library (Walnut Street entrance) and at Stop & Shop in Fairhaven, to drop off food.
Learn more about the NALC food drive at https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive.
To learn more about the Shepherd’s Pantry, find them on Facebook.
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- Volunteers of the Shepherds Pantry in Acushnet pose for the local free sheet with some of the 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26. Photo by Beth David.
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- Volunteers of the Shepherds Pantry in Acushnet work quickly to unload and stack 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26. Photo by Beth David.
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- Volunteers of the Shepherds Pantry in Acushnet use a makeshift ramp to get food from the truck to the basement as they unload 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26. Photo by Beth David.
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- Rachel Thomas carries a box of food at the Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet as volunteers unload 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26. Photo by Beth David.
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- Martin Hansmann helps to stack boxes at the Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet as volunteers unload 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26. Photo by Beth David.
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- Some of the 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26 is stacked at the Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet waiting to be sorted and bagged for distribution. Photo by Beth David.
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- Dereck Goff carries a box at the Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet as volunteers unload 4,280 pounds of food collected in Fairhaven during the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive on 5/9/26. Photo by Beth David.
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Click here to download the 5/14/26 issue: 05-14-26 NALC_REV
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