Letter Carriers’ Annual Food Drive Set For May 13 Throughout Nation

31st Food Drive Will Help Feed Families in Need in All 50 States.

Lafayette, Ind. – National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 466 and the National Rural Letter Carrier’s Association, in collaboration with the United States Postal Service, United Way of Greater Lafayette, and Food Finders Food Bank, supported by Subaru of Indiana Automotive, will once again participate in the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) Annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive held nationally on this date. This year marks the 31st anniversary of this food drive nationally and the 27th year locally. Food donations will go directly to Food Finders Food Bank for distribution to its partner agencies.

On that day, all you have to do is leave a bag or bags of non-perishable food by your mailbox before your letter carrier’s normal pickup time. Food donations will go directly to Food Finders Food Bank for distribution to its partner agencies.

Nearly 34 million Americans are unsure where their next meal comes from. This includes 9 million children and about 5.2 million seniors over age 60—many of whom live on fixed incomes and often are too embarrassed to ask for help. In Tippecanoe County, 11.3% of the population, or more 20,000 individuals, do not know where their next meal is coming from, including 1 in 9 children.

Letter carriers see these struggles in the communities they serve and believe that it is important to do what they can to help.

“Over its first quarter-century, the food drive has only grown in importance and impact,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “It’s an honor to be able to help people in need all across the United States – and to do so in a way that brings out the best in so many Americans.”

The timing is important, with food banks, pantries, and shelters running low on donations from the winter holidays and with summer approaching, when most school meal programs are suspended.

2019’s figure brings the total collected since NALC’s food drive began in 1993 to about 1.75 billion pounds.

On May 13, as they deliver mail, the nation’s letter carriers will collect the donations that residents have left near their mailboxes. People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, rice, or cereal, next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery on Saturday.

People who have questions about the drive in their area should ask their letter carrier, contact their local post office, or go to nalc.org/food, facebook.com/StampOutHunger or twitter.com/StampOutHunger.