Stamp Out Hunger with TE Post Offices

Pantry shelves at local food banks that filled up through winter-holiday generosity are usually laid bare by the Spring. The members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) plans to restock those shelves with its 23rd annual food drive on Saturday, and they need Tredyffrin/Easttown residents to help out.

Letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations Saturday as they deliver mail along their postal routes. People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods such as canned soup; canned vegetables; canned meats and fish; pasta; peanut butter; rice or cereal next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery.

It is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, and is held annually on the second Saturday in May in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

“Letter carriers are honored to be able to help people in need,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “On a daily basis we see the needs in the communities we serve, and we believe it’s important to help meet those needs.”

Hunger affects about 49 million people around the country, including millions of children and senior citizens. And one in four households with a member currently serving in the U.S. military turns to the Feeding America network for food assistance.

Carriers will bring the food to local food banks, pantries or shelters, including many affiliated with Feeding America, which is a national partner in the drive, as are the U.S. Postal Service, United Way Worldwide, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, the AFL-CIO, Valpak and Valassis.

People who have questions about the drive in their area should ask their letter carrier, contact their local post office, or go to nalc.org/food, facebook.com/StampOutHunger or twitter.com/StampOutHunger.