Help Stamp Out Hunger This 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 this Saturday, and pitching in is as easy as throwing some nonperishable food items in a sturdy bag and placing them 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 and towns, actually) are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing nonperishable food items—could be rice and/or cereal, could be canned meats, soups and/or vegetables—next to their mailboxes on Saturday, May 14.

Last year, carriers collected a record 77.1 million pounds of food while winding through their postal routes, Rolando said, 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 that children who would normally eat a free or reduced lunch through their schools’ programs must find other sources of nutrition in the summer.

The United States’ 230,000 mail carriers will collect donations this 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 Company, will donate one point of food to the Feeding America food-bank network for 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 their 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.”

This article originally appeared on the .