‘Stamp Out Hunger’ On May 8

April 19, 2010

On Saturday, May 8, Americans in more than 10,000 communities will partner with letter carriers to help “Stamp Out Hunger.” The Letter Carriers Food Drive is the largest, single-day effort to combat hunger in America.

To participate, residents are asked to place a bag of non-perishable food items, like canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, by their mailbox before their mail is delivered on Saturday, May 8. Letter carriers will collect the food items and deliver them to hunger relief agencies with the help of volunteers.

Last year, letter carriers across the country collected a record total of more than 73.4 million pounds of food. But with hunger impacting 49.1 million Americans, including 16.7 million children, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States; help is needed now more than ever before.

“While we’re very proud of our success over the years in the battle against hunger, the fact remains that more Americans than ever are in need, which is why we remain committed to this drive,” said Fredric V. Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.

In a recent survey conducted by Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic-hunger-relief organization, its 203 food bank members consistently reported increased demand for emergency food assistance, ranging from five to 150 percent. Food banks are also notoriously empty during summer months, having exhausted the supply of donations received from food drives conducted during the holidays that are then distributed during spring. Summer donations are even more critical since many children in need no longer have the benefit of their school lunch program.

Local hunger relief organizations including Manna Food Pantries, Bay Area Food Bank, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Warrington Emergency Aid, ACTS Ministries, and We Care Ministry will receive the food donated locally and distribute it to needy families throughout the summer.

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger effort, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com. You can also follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger or text STAMP3 to 30305 to sign up for mobile reminders.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News