RETURNING: Stamp Out Hunger mail carriers’ food drive Saturday

That’s the bag that arrived with our mail today for Saturday’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive – the first one since 2019. In case you haven’t already seen it in our calendar, here’s the announcement:

The Letter Carriers’ food drive is held annually on the second Saturday in May in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. Hunger affects 1 in 8 Americans, including millions of children, senior citizens and veterans.

In the 30 years since it began, the food drive has collected about 1.82 billion pounds of food for struggling residents.

The need is as great as ever, given the pandemic-caused economic dislocations of the past two years. The traditional food drive is returning this year after a two-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, it was replaced by NALC’s donor drive, in which those wishing to help made online donations to local food pantries. …

The timing is important, with food banks, pantries and shelters running low on donations from the winter holidays and with summer approaching, when most school meal programs are suspended.

On May 14, as they deliver mail, the nation’s 200,000 letter carriers will collect the donations that residents have left near their mailboxes. People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, rice, or cereal next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery on Saturday. The food donations stay in each community, going to help local residents. …

People who have questions about the drive in their area should ask their letter carrier, contact their local post office, or go to nalc.org/community-service/food-drive or twitter.com/StampOutHunger.

1 Reply to "RETURNING: Stamp Out Hunger mail carriers' food drive Saturday"

  • Regular Guy May 12, 2022 (11:42 am)

    Thought someone put trash/dog poop bag in my mailbox and immediately threw this away without looking at it.        

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