Letter carriers to collect food Saturday to promote Saturday delivery; some say few would miss it

As the debate continues whether or not to cancel most Saturday mail delivery, letter carriers across the nation will spend this Saturday collecting food donations to help the needy. They say the food drive is a chance to help promote their work among the community, especially on a day that the Postal Service wants to eliminate most delivery -- a move that would cost some carriers their jobs.

Portland, Ore., Postmaster Shawneen Betha said, "The Food Drive gives everyone the chance to be part of something bigger than anything we could do alone," reports Scott Hewitt for The Columbian in Vancouver, Wash. "It's our Postal Service customers who really make the difference. Every can and package of food collected makes a difference in someone's life."

While rural interests generally favor Saturday mail, which will continue until at least Sept. 30, some suburban customers don't favor it. The Journal News, in suburban New York, published a letter from reader Arthur Praete that said, "Not more than two Americans out of 100 would sorely miss Saturday mail delivery. And what does this Congress do? They pass legislation prohibiting the Postal Service from instituting this cost-saving reform." Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe has said eliminating Saturday mail could save the agency $2 billion a year. The Postal Service lost $15.9 billion last year.