by James Parks, May 3, 2011
The Letter Carriers’ (NALC) annual national food drive this month comes at a time when millions of Americans are still struggling to put food on the table. More than 50 million people—including 17.2 million children—live in households that are hungry or at risk of hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a 30 percent increase in one year and represents more than one in seven households in the country (14.6 percent).
You can help “Stamp Out Hunger” by collecting canned goods and dry food, such as tuna, canned meat, soups, pasta, rice and cereal, and leaving them in a bag or box by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14. Your letter carrier will pick them up as they deliver your mail. NALC members will deliver the goods to local food banks, pantries and shelters to help needy families in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions.
Last year, the Letter Carriers collected a record 77.1 million pounds of non-perishable food.
NALC President Fredric Rolando says the union members will ratchet up efforts this year.
Letter Carriers have never backed away from a challenge. Millions of Americans depend on the food we collect to help carry them through the summer months. We cannot—we must not—let them down.
Rolando noted that donations are particularly critical at this time since most school lunch programs are suspended during the summer months and millions of children must find alternate sources of nutrition.
This is NALC’s 19th annual food drive, which is held on the second Saturday in May in more than 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Postal employees and rural letter carriers are assisting in the effort, as are members of other unions and thousands of volunteers. More information about the drive is available at helpstampouthunger.com. In addition to “liking” the Facebook page, you can also follow StampOutHunger on Twitter.
