Postal Service employees across the nation are gearing up for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which will be held Saturday, May 9.
Customers are asked to place a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food next to their mailboxes. USPS will collect the food and donate it to local pantries.
“We have a good time with it,” Corinth, MS, Letter Carrier Buddy Shumaker told The Daily Corinthian newspaper this week. “It’s almost like Christmas, going around and seeing all the boxes and bags at people’s mailboxes.”
The National Association of Letter Carriers and USPS sponsor the food drive, which has collected more than 70 million pounds of food each year for more than a decade.
Naperville, IL, Post Office employees collected about 82,000 pounds last year, exceeding their target by almost half. This year’s goal is 100,000 pounds, the Naperville Sun reported.
At a kickoff event last week, Letter Carrier Maria Espinosa told her co-workers their efforts make a difference. “It definitely does not go unnoticed,” she said.
Approximately 49 million people face hunger every day in the United States, including almost 16 million children.
For more information, visit the Stamp Out Hunger site or download this year’s flier.