Fitzpatrick Lauds Letter Carriers’ 'Stamp Out Hunger' Campaign

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick lauded the National Association of Letter Carriers for their continuing efforts to fight hunger across the United States.  During the annual event, scheduled for Saturday, May 14, thousands of local post offices and postal employees will participate in the food drive.  2011 is the 19th year the food drive has been conducted.

“Hunger is an ongoing but often forgotten problem for millions of Americans,” said Fitzpatrick in a release.  “The post office and its employees should be commended for working to stamp out hunger in America.”

According to a 2010 study by Feeding America, over 49 million Americans are “food insecure,” meaning that they lack access at times to enough food for an active healthy life for all household members.  This number has increased dramatically in recent years and underscores the need to address hunger in America.  In 2010, the Stamp Out Hunger campaign collected a record 77.1 million pounds of food.

Below is a Postal Service release:

Every second Saturday in May letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. They also collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive – the largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the world.

Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with the help of rural letter carriers, other postal employees and numerous other volunteers, the drive has resulted in delivery of more than one billion pounds of donations to community food banks and pantries over the past 18 years.

Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 local NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved in the drive.

The U.S. Postal Service and Campbell Soup Company are major supporters of the drive. Campbell Soup also earmarked an additional 1 million pound canned food donation to the drive. Other supporters are Cox Target Media and its Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, the nationwide direct mail marketing firm, which promotes the drive on 40 million packets delivered to postal customers.

The drive also relies on the backing of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, the Feeding America food bank network; the United Way of America and its local United Ways, the AFL-CIO Community Services network, and countless local sponsors.

All citizens need do is to place a box or can of non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail every second Saturday in May. The carrier will do all the rest. The food is taken back to a postal station, sorted, and then delivered to an area food bank or pantry. There it is available for needy families.

Some 35.5 million people face hunger every day in America, including 13 million children. This drive is one way people can help those right in their own city or town who need help.

The NALC food drive has received a number of accolades over the years, including two Presidential Certificates of Achievement.