COURT HOUSE – John Vollrath of Court House delivered mail for 35 years and saw the face of hunger on many patrons’ faces, young and old.
For many of those years, he carried the mail in Wildwood prior to his 2007 retirement. He has served as the Cape Atlantic, NJ Branch 903 countywide coordinator for the holiday food drive since its 1983 inception.
One of the tasks associated with that job is notifying the media of the food drive so that donors can prepare to leave bags of non-perishable food by their mailboxes. This year, the collection was Dec. 8.
The collection was successful, said Vollrath. Many local food pantries benefitted from the generosity of postal patrons. That is because all food collected in Cape May County stays in the county assisting local families.
To Vollrath’s surprise, the December 2018 edition of The Postal Record, a national publication sent to all members of the National Association of Letter Carriers. The edition carried a story about the Cape May County food drive.
It noted that the food drive began in Wildwood, and has spread throughout the county. All who collect the food volunteer their time, as do those who sort it at local post offices and arrange pickup by food pantry personnel.
Vollrath was quoted in the article as stating, “As mail people, we’re on the front lines and we see that hunger. I felt it would be a great idea to fill the food banks over the holidays.”
The article also mentions “fellow Branch 903 carriers, Frank Rohrer, who covers Court House, and retiree Dean Umscheid, who is responsible for Cape May and Michael Calise Jr., Ocean City coordinator.
Support for the drive came from city carriers, rural carriers, clerks, maintenance crews, managers and postmasters.
“I’ve got to give them credit. I couldn’t do it without all the help,” Vollrath is quoted as stating in the article.
The drive was commended by NALC president Fredric Rolando, who stated the drive was a “rewarding opportunity to give back in different ways to the communities we serve.”
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