Help Stamp Out Hunger Saturday

Open up those pantries and don’t be stingy—the National Association of Letter Carriers needs your help if it’s going to help stamp out hunger.

The 19th-annual NALC National Food Drive, which is the largest in the country, takes place Saturday, and pitching in is as easy as throwing some nonperishable food items in a sturdy bag and placing them in next to your mailbox.

“In every corner of this country, there are people and families who are hungry, including children,’ NALC President Fredric V. Rolando said in a statement. “As letter carriers, we have the privilege of serving communities six days a week, of getting to know people, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to serve them in this way as well.”

Americans all over the country (in about 10,000 cities in towns, actually) are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing nonperishable food items—could be rice or cereal, could be canned meats, soups or vegetables—next to their mailboxes Saturday.

Last year, Rolando said carriers collected a record 77.1 million pounds of food while winding through their postal routes, adding that generous donations are needed now more than ever.

“About 50 million Americans live in families that lack sufficient food,” he said in a statement. “One of every three—17 million—is a child.”

This is especially true, Rolando said, considering that summer vacation means children who would normally eat through their school’s free or reduced lunch programs must find other sources of nutrition in the summer months.

The country’s 230,000 mail carriers will collect the donations Saturday and take them to local food pantries—including hundreds affiliated with Feeding America (a national partner in the drive). Another sponsor, Campbell’s Soup Co., will again donate one point of food to the Feeding America food bank network or every person who joins the Stamp Out Hunger Facebook community.

People who have questions about the drive may receive information specific to their area by contacting the local post office or by clicking here.

“As letter carries, we see people on our daily routes who rely on the generosity of others to help provide something as basic as a meal in a time of need,” Rolando said. “We’re proud to continue this program of critical assistance to needy families in every state of the union.”