The National Association of Letter Carriers, (NALC) will conduct its 27th annual national food drive on Saturday, May 11.
The Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive, the country’s largest single-day food collection event, provides residents with an easy way to donate food to those in need in the community.
And though Williamson County is the state’s most affluent, there still are plenty of people in need and considered food insecure, according to Second Harvest Food Bank’s latest study of the area.
To join The Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive, customers simply leave their donation of non-perishable goods next to their mailbox before the delivery of the mail on Saturday, May 11. Each household will receive a bag in the mail provided by Food Lion to use for their donations. Letter carriers will collect these bags as they deliver mail along their postal routes. In Middle and West Tennessee, the donated food will be distributed to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and its network of Partner Agencies throughout 46-counties, ensuring that all donated food remains in the county in which it is donated.
“Stamp Out Hunger is a special food drive that allows every community across the country to do their part to fight hunger,” said Jaynee Day, president and CEO of Second Harvest, who plans to retire this summer. “This event is a huge part in our food collection success each year, and we are so grateful to both the individuals who donate and the letter carriers who collect those donations.”
Stamp Out Hunger is the opportune time for the public to help those at risk of hunger. According to Feeding America’s recently released Map the Meal Gap 2019 study, more than 346,050 people across Second Harvest’s 46-country service area are food insecure, which is defined as limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Other key findings include:
- 1 in 8 Middle Tennesseans, including 1 in 6 children struggle with hunger.
- In Williamson County, 13,200 individuals, including 7,100 children are considered food insecure.
Letter carriers see these struggles in the communities they serve, and they believe it’s important to do what they can to help. On Saturday, May 11, as they deliver mail, a majority the nation’s 202,000 letter carriers will collect donations left by residents near their mailboxes. People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag – paper or plastic – containing non-perishable foods such as peanut butter, canned chicken or tuna and canned fruits or vegetables. Interested individuals can contact their local post office for participation information.
The 27th annual food drive provides, on average, 30 percent of Second Harvest’s annual food drive donations and helps give assistance to Tennesseans struggling to put food on the table. Last year, 218,757 pounds were donated within Second Harvest’s 46-county service area, and, 71.6 million pounds of food was collected last year throughout the country.
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive was created in 1993 by the National Association of Letter Carriers to encourage communities to come together in an effort to stock the shelves of food banks and pantries nationwide. Today, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is held in more than 10,000 cities and towns across the country. As the drive celebrates its 27th anniversary, Stamp Out Hunger has collected more than 1.5 billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
For 40 years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has followed its mission of feeding hungry people and finding innovative ways to solve hunger issues in our communities. As a private, not-for-profit and tax-exempt organization, Second Harvest distributes food and other products to approximately 490 nonprofit partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Our partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities, senior centers, group homes, and youth enrichment programs. For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, its mission and programs, please visit secondharvestmidtn.org.
About National Association of Letter Carriers
The 284,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers represents letter carriers across the country employed by the U.S. Postal Service, along with retired letter carriers. Founded by Civil War veterans in 1889, NALC is among the country’s oldest labor unions.