May 10 marks the 33rd year of one of America’s largest one-day food drives. The National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a nationally recognized initiative that focuses on helping the communities mail carriers serve every day. These individuals travel through neighborhoods 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 nonperishable food donations from our customers. Local contributions go directly to food pantries to provide nourishment to Delawareans who need our help.
Over the course of its 33-year history, the drive has collected well over 1.9 billion pounds of food, thanks to the postal service’s universal delivery network, which spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
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 individuals over 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for aid.
Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. By spring, many are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available.
Participating in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave nonperishable items in a bag by your mailbox May 10, and your letter carrier will do the rest. Please help us in our fight to “Stamp Out Hunger.” If you would like to learn more, visit nalc.org/community-service/food-drive.
Claire Anderson
Food drive coordinator,
National Association of Letter Carriers’ Branch 906
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
