Help letter carriers 'Stamp Out Hunger' on May 13; leave nonperishable foods at mailbox

The 31st-annual national food drive, hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers, is approaching quickly.

On Saturday, May 13, letter carriers will join forces with community leaders and others to help fight hunger throughout the country.

According to a news release, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the country's largest single-day food drive, which provides residents with an easy way to donate food to those in need in the community.

Participants can collect nonperishable foods and place them in a bag by their mailbox for their carrier to collect along his or her route. Volunteers then sort through donated items to distribute them back out to the community to help feed families in need, the release stated.Mark Champagne, the executive director for Sumter United Ministries, said in previous years it has been incredible.

"Typically we collect the food from the drivers, we load it on to a semi-truck and unload it here at Sumter United and split it up among different food pantries in the community like Salvation Army, Christian Services, etc.," he said.

In the past, more than 20,000 pounds of food has been donated in the community, and Champagne said he could not thank people enough; it helps more than residents know. "Life can deal ordinary hard-working people with very difficult hands. Millions of Americans live in challenging situations, uncertain of where their next meal will come from or if it will come at all. They're our customers, our neighbors, our families. They include children and seniors we see along our routes every day. Some household members may have lost a job, are facing a serious medical condition or are dealing with an unexpected responsibility of caring for grandchildren. Sadly, one in five households needing help with food is home to a military veteran. So often, this food drive makes a positive difference for them," the news release states.

According to Feeding America's website, one in 15 seniors faces hunger, which means 6.8% of all seniors experience food insecurity in America. Nine million children in the United States face hunger, and as of 2021, 53 million people turned to food programs.

Despite more than 30 years of letter carriers' commitment to the national food drive and more than 1.82 billion pounds of food collected, communities across the country are still in need. On May 13, residents can join letter carriers in the challenge to end hunger by placing a bag of non-perishable food by their mailbox.