BELLINGHAM — The rising cost of food and gas may cause some people to tighten their wallets, but Ruth Davis said the higher prices shouldn’t close people’s hearts.
Davis is food drive coordinator for the Bellingham post office, one of many in Whatcom County participating in a Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday .
“We know people will be feeling the pinch,” Davis said of rising prices. “But who feels it worse than the poor?”
To give to the food drive, leave nonperishable food items in bags near mailboxes for postal workers and volunteers to collect.
Make sure the food bags are visible from the street — not inside mailboxes, Davis said.
Davis encourages people to leave several bags of food, but even one can makes a difference, she said.
Last year, the food drive set a record, collecting about 60,000 pounds of food in Bellingham, said Mike Cohen, director of the Bellingham Food Bank.
The food bank has had a dramatic increase in client visits this year, and rising food prices are most likely contributing to the increased need for help, Cohen said.
April saw more than 8,000 visits — the most in the food bank’s history, Cohen said.
January, February and March also set records, with more than 7,000 visits each month.
“If there was ever a need to participate in the easiest food drive, it is this year,” Cohen said.
For more information visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.