Letter Carriers' Annual Food Drive Set for Saturday throughout Nation
National Organizations Pitch in to Help Millions of Americans Facing Hunger in All 50 States
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its 22nd annual food drive on Saturday, May 10. Letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations on that day as they deliver mail along their postal routes.
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.
The Letter Carriers' Food Drive never has been more important. The extreme winter weather and other natural disasters many regions experienced not only exacerbate problems in many communities but also turn some who typically give food into recipients of help.
"We are honored to be able to help people in need by leading an effort that brings out the best in so many Americans," NALC President Fredric Rolando said. "Letter see first-hand the needs in the communities where we work, and we're committed to helping meet those needs."
Hunger affects about 49 million people around the country, including millions of children and senior citizens. Pantry shelves filled up through winter-holiday generosity often are bare by late spring. And, with most school meal programs suspended during summer months, millions of children must find alternate sources of nutrition.
Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation, a national partner in the drive, said, "Letter carriers deliver mail six days a week to every address in America—and, for more than 20 years, letter carriers have used the Postal Service's universal delivery network as an indispensable tool in helping to stamp out hunger."
Last year, letter carriers collected 74.4 million pounds of food donations along their postal routes, the second-highest amount since the NALC's food drive began in 1992.
Radio and TV public service announcements in English and Spanish are available on the food drive page of the NALC website http://goo.gl/DAfoad – feel free to use them.
On May 10, as they deliver mail, the nation's 175,000 letter carriers will collect the donations that residents leave near their mail boxes. 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 on Saturday.
Carriers will bring the food to local food banks, pantries or shelters, including many affiliated with Feeding America, which is another national partner in the drive, as are United Way, Publix, Campbell Soup Co., the U.S. Postal Service, National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, the AFL CIO, Valpak, Valassis and Uncle Bob's Self Storage.
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.
The 280,000-member NALC 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, the NALC is among the country's oldest labor unions.
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SOURCE National Association of Letter Carriers
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