This is a congratulation to all postal carriers and all of Austin and Albert Lea for the contributions to the food drive.  Together, we collected 27,920 pounds of nonperishable foods, that will be used to help our local people in need. This is a win-win solution. I thank all contributors and postal workers (who had to carry these items). It is needed and will be well used.

All being said, Albert Leans, Austin beat us by 640 pounds. Austin has (by the 2010 census) 6,702 more people than we have. If you divide that out, it means that Austin gave .58 (little over half a pound) pound per person, while Albert Lea gave .76 (over three-fourths of a pound) pound per person. We still beat them! Now, think of this: One can of vegetables weighs 14 to 15 ounces, and a can of soup weighs about 10 ounces. Each one of those items costs less than one dollar. If each of us buys two extra cans, once a month, it would cost us less than $2, and we put it aside. If we did that, it would be 12 multiplied by 25 ounces equals 21 pounds of canned goods per year that we could donate per family, to help those who need it.

Would less than $2 per month be worth it, to help those less fortunate than us? If we average out our population at four people per household, that would give us 4,504 families to contribute. If we took that number and divided that in half (assuming one parent households subtracted as well as widows/widowers, etc.), we would still have about 2,252 families who could contribute. At 25 ounces per month, purchasing two cans per month equals  basically 18 3/4 pounds per family to donate. What I am bringing it down to is giving up one fast food meal per year for two people. If we each gave up this, then 2,252 (familes) multiplied by 21 (pounds per year of canned type goods) equals 47,292 pounds of goods to be used in our community to those that need it. Take that, and match it, Austin! (Remember — all are winners when we work together.)

Tom W. Sosebee Jr.

Albert Lea