Together we can #StampOutHunger

Saturday, May 11th

Put your non-perishable donations in a bag by your mailbox.

Hunger in America

     Millions of Americans live in challenging situations, uncertain of where their next meal will come

     from or if it will come at all. They are our customers, our neighbors, our families. They include

     children and seniors that we see along our routes each day. Sadly, 1 in 10 households don't have

     enough food and due to the pandemic it has become worse.

     With over 30 years of letter carriers' commitment to the national food drive and over 1.9

     billion pounds of food collected, our communities are still in need across the country. Ending

     hunger is a challenge letter carriers' and their communities have taken on.

     Food Insecurity

     The USDA defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every

     person in a household to live an active, healthy life.

1 in 7 children will go to bed hungry tonight.

1 in 11 people struggle to put food on the table.

History of the Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger ® Food Drive

     Letter carriers, who go into neighborhoods in every town six days a week, have always gotten involved

     when something needs to be done. Whether it is collecting funds for the Muscular Dystrophy

     Association (MDA); watching over the elderly through the Carrier Alert Program; delivering needed

     antibiotics (if called upon); assisting victims of natural disasters, or rescuing victims of fires, crime, and

     other mishaps, letter carriers are the eyes and ears in every neighborhood and often life savers in the

     community.

     Over history, a number of branches collected food for those in need as part of their community service

     effort. Discussions were held by the NALC, USPS, and AFL-CIO to explore a more coordinated effort. A

     pilot drive was held in October 1991. It proved so successful, the parties worked to make it a nationwide

     effort. Food banks and pantries suggested that late spring would be the best time for the drive, since

     most of their food donations are received over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, leaving

     the food shelves depleted by spring. Making matters even worse for many, school breakfast and lunch

     programs are not available during the summer, placing an even greater responsibility on local food

     pantries and food shelves.

     A revamped drive was organized for the second Saturday in May 1993, with a goal of at least one NALC

     local branch participating in each of the 50 states. The results were astounding. Over 11 million pounds of

     food were collected by over 220 union branches - a one day record in the United States. From Alaska

     to Florida and Maine to Hawaii, letter carriers did double duty by delivering the mail and picking up

     donations. In 2022, we celebrated the return of the in-person food drive which was our 30th annual

     Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger® food drive. Our branches have collected a total of approximately 1.9

     billion pounds of food over the history of the drive - an awesome achievement.

     Each year, groups, businesses, and organizations join the NALC at the local, regional, and

     national levels, to help grow a campaign of hunger awareness and community action in conducting

     this one-day, record making food drive. From the beginning, at the national level, we have had the

     steadfast support of the USPS, United Way, and AFL-CIO. United Food and Commercial Workers

     union (UFCW) is the national premiere partner, adding the largest food union in the country to our

     efforts. Locally, the Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger® food drive enjoys partnerships with many

     church and faith groups, rotary and lions clubs, grocers and youth groups, and those who work to

     provide help and hope to those in need.

We look forward to another awesome year, as we continue our fight to...

STAMP OUT HUNGER!

To learn more about the National Association of Letter Carriers, click here.