Working Together to “Stamp Out” Hunger
One in ten Americans faces hunger every day. Every May, the National Association of Letter Carriers organizes the , the largest single-day food drive in the nation.
USPS letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect donations of quality, nonperishable food left in mailboxes or brought to post offices. The timing is strategic, as requests for good, healthy food surge during the summer months.
The food is delivered to local community food banks, pantries, and shelters—nearly 1,500 located in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Food collected locally is distributed locally—neighbors helping neighbors. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has delivered more than 1.82 BILLION pounds of food over the past 30 years.
Working with (Emergency Care Help Organization), a Tampa-based non-profit, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ helped sponsor the food drive for the Tampa Bay area: Donating a truck to help with deliveries, covering some of the hard costs associated with the collection, and volunteers to sort items for local food banks.
An “emergency care organization,” ECHO helps “bridge the gap between crisis and stability,” providing food, clothing, and other resources for people in need. According to ECHO Development Manager Steven McKinnon, this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive delivered 65,540 pounds of quality food to the organization’s local pantries.
“ECHO opened our doors in 1987, and we have been involved with this drive since it started in Hillsborough County. The number of neighbors we serve has skyrocketed over the past two years from 15,000 individuals to 30,000…” McKinnon said. “The Stamp Out Hunger food drive, therefore, has become more important than ever.
“We can't express how much we appreciate the National Association of Letter Carriers and partners like º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ and Move for Hunger for their roles in this drive. That support will allow us to feed thousands of families—thank you.”
