To the Editor:
Saturday, May 13, marks the 31st anniversary of one of America’s greatest days of giving — The National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.” Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many people — hunger.
Each year, on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers nationwide collect nonperishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to the local pantries to provide food for people in their communities who need help.
The need for food donations is great. Currently, more than 42 million Americans are unsure where their next meal is coming from. More than 12 million are children who feel the impact of hunger on their overall health and ability to perform in school. Nearly 5.2 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, many of them living on fixed incomes, often too embarrassed to ask for help.
Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive most of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are coming to an end for children in need.
Participating in this year’s Letter Carrier “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” is simple. Just leave a nonperishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox May 13. Your letter carrier and their volunteers will do the rest. With your help, letter carriers and the U.S. Postal Service have collected more than 1.82 billion pounds of food in the United States over the 30 years of the national food drive. Please help us in our fight to end hunger, as we celebrate our 31st anniversary year in America’s great day of giving.
Sara Schawl
NALC President Branch 126
Letter carrier, Clinton
