On Saturday, May 12, Central Louisiana letter carriers will again work to Stamp Out Hunger! with the help of the residence in our community. Now in its 20th year, the Stamp out Hunger effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. In 2011, drive organizers across the country collected more than 70 million pounds of food donations.



To participate in the Stamp out Hunger drive, central Louisiana residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular delivery on Saturday, May 12. Local letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to The Food Bank of Central Louisiana.



Despite the generosity of millions of Americans who have supported the letter carriers’ food drive in previous years, the need for food assistance still exists for many families. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States, nearly 49 million Americans, including more than 16 million children, are struggling with hunger.



The Stamp Out Hunger food drive, held annually on the second Saturday in May, has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive. This year letter carriers representing nearly 1,500 local branches of the postal union will collect food donations along their postal routes. These donations will be used to replenish food banks and pantries in more than 10,000 communities.

”It’s our 20th anniversary,” NALC President Fredric Rolando noted. “For two decades now, our annual national drive has proved critical in helping millions of American families—our customers—who are struggling to make ends meet during this continuing recession.

“Each year, the second Saturday in May is a day when all citizens have an opportunity, with the help of their letter carrier, to easily donate food to needy families in their community,” he said.

“We are extremely pleased to be working with the National Association of Letter Carriers during this food drive,” said Jayne Wright-Velez, executive director of the Food Bank. “By taking a leadership role in the fight against domestic hunger, the NALC continues to make a significant impact in the lives of many needy Americans.”



For more information about the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive or the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, please call 318.445.2773.



-END-

Linda Hutson

Director of Development & Community Relations

Food Bank of Central Louisiana

lhutson@fbcenla.org

318.445.2773

Mayor Fields of Pineville talks about the National Day of Prayer, Hazardous Waste Collections Day, City Budget Updates, and his thoughts on the recent news on Superintendent Gary Jones. Click above on the audio player to hear from Mayor Fields on The Truth 104.3 FM.

Louisiana State Police Troop E is proud to announce the fourth annual Cenla Public Safety Expo.

The event will take place May 1, 2012 and May 2, 2012 from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm and will be located at the Rapides Parish Coliseum on LA 28 West in Alexandria. The Safety Expo will include informational booths, displays, and demonstrations from many different public safety agencies. This event is free to the public and will be an excellent opportunity to meet and talk to different public safety related organizations and representatives. They will convey information related to our community’s safety and how they can better serve the citizens.

There will be a planned fireworks display on Wednesday night, May 2, 2012.

This is the fourth event of its kind in Alexandria and we hope that it is educational, informational, and entertaining for the attendees.

The public and the media are cordially invited. There are several schools in the Troop E area that will be attending.

Contact Information:

S/T Daniel “Scott” Moreau

Public Information OfficerLouisiana State Police – Troop E

Office: (318) 769-9USA (872)

scott.moreau@dps.la.gov

www.LSP.org

Click above on the audio player to hear more from Scott Moreau on The Truth 104.3 FM.

Kelli West from the Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tells us all about the great events coming up this weekend and the following weekend. For a complete listing of events coming up, visit theheartoflouisiana.com for the CVB's official site. And click above on the audio player to hear more from Kelli on The Truth 104.3 FM.

Come out and apply for various great jobs at St. Mary's Residential Training School! Bring resumes and job information to the Louisiana Workforce Building on Hwy 28 West in Alexandria on Wednesday, April 25th from 9am - 3pm. For more information call 318.445.6443. Also, click above on the audio player to hear directly from Lauren Sullivan as she tells us what kind of jobs are available and a little bit about St. Mary's on The Truth 104.3 FM.

Robert Etheredge, author of "The American Challenge: Preserving the Greatness of America in the 21st Century", is spreading the word about declining knowledge of America. Could you pass a standard U.S. citizen test? Find out, and learn more about your country! Click on the audio player above to hear from Robert on The Truth 104.3 FM, and check out his book at newamericanchallenge.com

Dr. David Holcombe from the Office of Public Health explains how prescription drug addictions are on the rise and what signs/symptoms to look for in others. He also gave updates on the Bayou Health care plan and what options you have with that plan. Click above on the audio player to hear more from Dr. Holcombe on The Truth 104.3 FM.

Get all the details about the upcoming Spring Artwalk, body painting, and the newest Indie film coming to Coughlin Saunders! Click above on the audio player to hear from Matt, Marcus, and Brittany from the Arts Council on The Truth 104.3 FM for more info.

Adilya Kelly is a local mother who has a young child with autism. She has also taught autistic students for several years. Adilya and other local mothers of autistic children are rallying together to spread the word about autism awareness in the month of April. What are some of the warning signs to look for in your child? What can you do? What is autism really about? Click above on the audio player to hear more from Adilya on autism from The Truth 104.3 FM. You can also check out autistic children's artwork at Somethin' Snazzy on Jackson Street that helps support local autism groups.

The Relay For Life of Rapides is coming up Friday, May 4th at Menard High School from 6pm-6am.

Cancer survivors, friends and family of those touched by cancer, and teams are all encouraged to participate. Celebrate more birthdays, and victory over cancer!

Register online at RelayForLife.org/Rapides

For more information, contact:

Lisa (Team development co-chair) lsclarke49@yahoo.com

Sindy (Team development co-chair) hudsonbar@aol.com

Ben (ACS Staff Partner) 318-709-5082 or Ben.Rosier@cancer.org