Nation’s Largest Food Drive Helps Millions of Americans in
Need
Help Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger on May
10
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Postal Service
is proud to support the annual National Association of Letter
Carriers (NALC) National Food Drive. Letter carriers in more
than 10,000 communities across America will join forces to help
stamp out hunger on Saturday, May 10. Postal employees in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the
Virgin Islands will collect non-perishable food items and
deliver them to local community food banks, pantries, and
shelters across the country. This food drive is the nation’s
largest annual single-day food drive.
“Hunger remains a daily challenge for millions of people in
our country. An estimated four percent of Americans—many of them
children—are forced to skip meals, eat too little, or even go
without food for an entire day,” said Postmaster General John E.
Potter. “We welcome the opportunity to help in the fight against
hunger. Once again we ask every American to remember the less
fortunate on Saturday, May 10.”
That four percent translates to an estimated 35 million
people, including 12 million children, at risk of hunger in
America. In late spring, most food banks begin running out of
donations received during holiday seasons. This drive is one way
people can join the U.S. Postal Service to help stamp out hunger
right in their own communities.
Long-time supporters of the drive include the U.S. Postal
Service, Campbell Soup Company, America’s Second Harvest, Cox
Target Media, local United Way affiliates, and the AFL-CIO
Community Services Network. The drive is an outgrowth of the
tradition of community service letter carriers have established
over the years, whether by watching over the elderly through the
Carrier Alert program, assisting the American Red Cross during
times of disaster or rescuing victims of fires, crime, and other
mishaps.
How to Help
More than 120 million postcards were mailed to customers in
towns and cities throughout America letting them know about the
food drive. Customers who did not receive a postcard can contact
their local Post Office.
Customers are asked to place bags of non-perishable food
items such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or
cereal next to their mailbox before their letter carrier
delivers the mail on Saturday, May 10. The letter carrier will
do the rest, taking the food to the Post Office where it is
sorted and delivered to an area food bank or pantry.
Postal customers in New York City and Chicago are asked to
take their food donations to their local post office starting on
Saturday, May 3 and continuing through Saturday, May 10. These
customers will also receive specialized postcards containing
information on making virtual online donations.
Sign up to receive an e-mail reminding you to place
non-perishable food items next to your mailbox at
www.helpstampouthunger.com.
SOURCE:
www.usps.com/ |
