Across 10,000 communities nationwide, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will organize its 26th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 11, with assistance from sponsors, volunteer organizations and U.S. Postal Service employees. This event represents the nation’s largest single-day food drive.
During last year’s collection, letter carriers gathered 71.6 million pounds of food from communities spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since its inception in 1993, the initiative has accumulated more than 1.6 billion pounds of food donations. The drive has established itself as America’s premier one-day effort to gather food for distribution to families in need.
Participation requires minimal effort. On Saturday, May 11, donors should place non-perishable items in a bag beside their mailbox before their letter carrier makes deliveries. In advance of the event, carriers will distribute special collection bags with regular mail. The items collected during Saturday’s collection will go to local churches, food banks and food pantries for distribution to those in need.
While any non-perishable food is appreciated, protein-rich options such as canned tuna, salmon, beans and peanut butter are particularly valuable. Additional priority items include canned fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals with low sugar content, boxed macaroni and cheese dinners and 100% fruit juice.
More details about this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive can be found at nalc.org/community-service/food-drive.
Food Drive TIPS
WHAT TO GIVE: Most-wanted foods include:
• Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon).
• Canned and boxed meals (soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese).
• Canned or dried beans and peas (black, pinto, lentils).
• Pasta, rice cereal.
• Canned fruits.
• 100 percent fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed).
• Canned vegetables.
• Cooking oil.
• Boxed cooking mixes (pancake, breads).
WHAT NOT TO GIVE:
• Rusty or unlabeled cans.
• Glass containers.
• Perishable items.
• Homemade items.
• No expired items
• Noncommercial canned or packaged items.
• Alcoholic beverages or mixes or soda.
• Open or used items.
Operating without tax dollars, the Postal Service depends on postage, product and service revenues to sustain its operations.