William Bogusiewicz walks his Rockford mail route, delivering mail, and bending over every now and then, picking up bags of donated food.
"It's giving back to the community. The community gives to me by letting me have this job and I'm giving back to them," Bogusiewicz said. On Saturday, Bogusiewicz took part in the Stamp Out Hunger program. It's a national effort to collect donations headed to food pantries and shelters nationwide. Residents on Bogusiewicz's route left their bags on the curb and beside his truck. "I have about, about 100 pounds," Bogusiewicz said. He said donations were down this year along his route but overall he expects some 75,000 pounds of food collected by mail carriers in the Stateline. Among those giving were Melvin and Nata Hemming. "We do it every year, so we do what we can," Nata Hemming said. The couple says now more than ever, food donations are needed given the downswing in the economy. "The jobs, people are being laid off, so more and more people need help," Nata Hemming said. Bogusiewicz says economic conditions are likely driving donations down along his route. But he's still happy to collect what he can. Knowing it's headed for a good cause down the road. Locally, the Rock River Valley pantry and Salvation Army are among the beneficiaries of this program.