The mail must go through....and the food donations must go through, too!

Once again, your local postal carriers are ready, willing, and able to help “Stamp out Hunger” with their annual food drive.

With the generous help of the folks along the rural routes, the carriers will be picking up non-perishable food donations left at post boxes this Saturday morning, May 10.

Every year, the wonderful and helpful effort to gain food for those in need seems to grow, both in hunger and in generosity.

After the donations are picked up by the mail carriers on their regular routes, they are brought back to the Hillsboro Post Office to be weighed, just like any bulk mailing. However, these “special packages” are then delivered, via “Postal Carrier Express,” of course, to the Good Samaritan Food Pantry for distribution to needy people and families in the Hillsboro area.

Along with the annual “Scouting for Food” campaign, I can’t think of better examples of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”

That kind of heart-warming care has become somewhat of a bellwether attitude in small town America. It’s no wonder middle America is now identified as the “heartland.”

So, don’t forget to leave some food at your mailbox on Saturday morning. The effort will sure beat the feeling of finding some more bills inside it!

***

Not surprisingly, there was a huge turnout for Don Picha’s wake in Elroy last Thursday night. He touched a lot of hearts in his 52 years, many of them folks in urgent need of assistance during one of the worst times of their lives.

In his occupation as a funeral director, he always displayed a voice of reason during a time of confusion for families. In fact, the entire Picha family exemplifies that trait.

But, in addition to that, he served the people of Elroy as their mayor for a number of years, as did his brother, Alan, in Hillsboro. The profession and the volunteer calling have many things in common. Mostly, the ability to help folks who are in serious need of direction from someone they trust.

On a personal note, the two brothers both offered me some excellent advice on handling a business  in a small community when we first came to Hillsboro back in 1989.

Of course, Don, was a major advertiser as an owner of Picha Furniture for so many years. But, he was more than that. His ad copy always included some new ideas and occasionally some advice I had never even considered!

For someone already in the newspaper business for 28 years, I found it amazing how little I understood about small towns back then! I was both surprised and appreciative.

Some happy memories I still retain were the years that Don worked on the football "chain gang,” moving the yard markers during Tiger games, while I roamed the sidelines eyeballing the field with my camera and hoping for a lucky action shot.

During timeouts, we would chat, enjoying an occasional joke, but mostly discussing strategy that I’m sure would have made the coaches laugh!

Our sincere sympathies to the entire Picha family for the irreplaceable loss to them all, as well as several communities.

Several family members have the unique experience of being on both sides of a very difficult and emotional situation. The professional side, as always, was handled flawlessly. The far more important personal side was surely much more difficult and will last in memories for a lifetime.

Don would understand that.