Help the postal service stamp out hunger

Saturday, May 14 marks the 24th anniversary of the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face-to-face with a sad reality for too many: hunger.

Each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to the local food bank to provide food to people in Moses Lake who need our help.

Last year, we collected over 71 million pounds of food nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people. Over the course of its 23-year history, the drive has collected well over 1 billion pounds of food, thanks to the postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation.

The need for food donations is great. Currently, 49 million Americans – one in six – are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Sixteen million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. Over 5 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, many of whom live on fixed incomes.

Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.

Participating in this year’s Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14 and your letter carrier will do the rest. I invite you to help us Stamp Out Hunger.

Tina Kunjara

Food drive coordinator

Moses Lake