On Saturday, May 11, letter carriers will be doing more than just dropping off the mail; they’ll also be collecting food for the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers, Stamp Out Hunger takes place around the country and is the largest single-day food drive.
You can take part by collecting nonperishable food items and leaving them in a bag near the mailbox early on May 11. A letter carrier or volunteer will pick up the donation and ensure it gets to Oregon Food Bank. Last year, one million pounds of food was collected in Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Our goal this year is to bring in another one million pounds. All donated food stays in the community where it was collected.
“Six days a week, our letter carriers are out in the community, traveling door to door. They see the subtle changes in income and know which house is struggling to put food on the table,” says CEO Susannah Morgan. “We’re proud to work together again this year to nourish and care for every neighbor.”
Susannah Morgan
A list of most wanted foods is available at oregonfoodbank.org/mostwanted. Donations not picked up by letter carriers can be dropped off at any post office by Wednesday, May 15. Financial donations can be made online at oregonfoodbank.org/NALC
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive was created in 1993 by the National Association of Letter Carriers to encourage communities to come together in an effort to stock the shelves of food banks nationwide. Along with the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, the National Association of Letter Carriers has collected more than one billion pounds of food nationally since the drive’s inception.
“I’ve always strived to help everyone else in need through my life,” says Abe RedCloud, Letter Carrier and Oregon Coordinator, Stamp Out Hunger. “There are a lot of people that need help in the world, and this event helps millions of people in need of an essential item to live, food. Every time I see a house with a bag of food for me to pick up, I get super excited and say thank you to them the next time I see them. I’m super proud to be helping in this event every year.”
Abe RedCloud
The food drive is made possible by Delta Fire and your local letter carriers, the U.S. Postal Service, Fred Meyer, AWS Elemental, UFCW Local 555 along with many dedicated volunteers and community organizations. https://vimeo.com/331847039
About Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Food Bank works to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry. Oregon Food Bank believes that hunger starves the human spirit, that communities thrive when people are nourished, and that everyone deserves healthy and fresh food. Oregon Food Bank helps feed the human spirit of 260,000 people every month through a food distribution network of 21 regional food banks serving Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Oregon Food Bank also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through public policy, local food systems work, nutrition and garden education, health care screening and innovative programming. Find out how to feed the human spirit at oregonfoodbank.org.