Help to Stamp Out Hunger Saturday

This food drive is an easy one. As easy as putting out the mail. It's even easier, because you don't need a stamp.

On Saturday, May 12, Framingham letter carriers will join in the effort to Stamp Out Hunger, a nationwide effort to combat hunger.

To participate in the 20th Stamp Out Hunger food drive, residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 12.

On Sunday morning at 7,  at the main U.S. Post Office on Route 30, all five food pantries will pick up the food collected the day before, said Bill Lynch, President National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 334 of Framingham.

About 50 million Americans — including 17 million children — now live in families that lack sufficient food.

The Postal Service, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), Campbell Soup Company, Feeding America and other partner organizations are working together to collect food donations on May 12. It is the nation’s largest single-day food drive in local communities across America — including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

In its 20th year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive benefits Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

“The Postal Service is pleased to continue supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers as we enter our 20th year together to help Stamp Out Hunger in America,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a press release. “I am confident the 2012 campaign will be our best ever because the need continues to grow.”

In 2011, letter carriers collected 70.2 million pounds of food donated by customers on their delivery routes.

Other partner organizations supporting the Stamp Out Hunger food drive are the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, Valpak, United Way, AFL-CIO, Uncle Bob’s Self-Storage and AARP.

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive began at the local level in the late 1980s and went nationwide in 1992.

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive visit the website.