Saturday, May 11, marks the 32nd anniversary of one of America’s great days of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
Letter carriers travel throughout communities daily, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many — hunger. Each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from their customers. These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people who need help.
The need for food donations is great. Currently, more than 44 million Americans are unsure where their next meal will come from. More than 13 million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. Nearly 5.5 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help, a news release said.
The food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.
Participating in this year’s NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave non-perishable food donations in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 11, and your letter carrier will do the rest.
Over the course of its 30-year plus history, the drive has collected well over 1.9 billion pounds of food, thanks to a Postal Service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation and the generosity of postal customers across the nation.
