Stamp Out Hunger this Saturday, May 9 (video)
It’s become a letter carrier tradition, and The Salvation Army is grateful for the partnership with the United States Postal Service during the Stamp Out Hunger food drive. On Saturday, May 9 just leave a bag of food near your mailbox and a letter carrier will pick it up.
“The post offices in Minnesota and North Dakota have come through for us year after year,” said Lt. Col. Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Northern Division leader. “The summer months are a very busy time. The food that we receive will help provide meals for those who cannot provide for themselves.”
Stamp Out Hunger is held every second Saturday in May. Letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns collect food as part of the largest one day food drive in the nation. It started more than 2o years ago and more than a billion pounds of food has been donated over that time.
Summer is an even busier time for food shelves, since kids are home and no longer getting meals at school. For parents who may already struggle to provide meals for their kids, that can make it impossible to make ends meet. The food collected on Saturday will help ease that pain and provide healthy meals for families in your community.
“Everything that is donated stays within your community,” explained Col. Thomson. “You literally could be helping the family down the street.”
Volunteers are needed to help sort through all of the food. It will take more time in some communities than others and if you’re able to volunteer, your help is greatly appreciated. Please check with your local Salvation Army to find out what kind of volunteer opportunities are available.