Food Drive: Clanton postal workers with the food they collected from residents on their routes for their annual food drive.

The Clanton Post Office collected more than 6,000 pounds of nonperishable food for this year’s annual food drive.

Bags for the items were left in residents’ mailboxes on May 11 and were retrieved by carriers on Saturday.

“I’ve been working here since ’91, and this is the most I’ve seen collected,” said Timmy Gibson, rural carrier.

Other postal workers said it is the most they’ve seen also, Gibson said.

Numerous bags of items were inside and outside the Clanton Post Office.

Everyone from newlyweds to 95-year-old ladies put bags out, said Gibson.

“This is one of the biggest ones we’ve had; everyone was very generous this year,” said Maplesville Postmaster Sherry Burt. “We even had a customer call this morning saying they wanted to donate, and asked was it too late.”

Verbena and Maplesville post offices also held successful food drives at their branches.

“It went really well for us. All of our carriers came in loaded with bags,” said Verbena Postmaster Valerie Arant. “We have some [bags of food] coming in today. This year it just seems like it doubled.”

Jemison and Thorsby did not receive bags on time, but hope to participate next year, Gibson said.

The food will be donated to the Chilton County Emergency Assistance Program.

“We would like to say thanks to everyone,” said Gibson.