WESTFIELD – Saturday marks the 23rd anniversary of America’s largest-single day of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, Feeding America, United Way and other partners.
Currently, 49 million Americans, 1 in 6, 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. Nearly 5 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.
In 2014, over 72 million pounds of food was collected by postal carriers nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people. Over the course of the 22-year history, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has collected well over one billion pounds of food.
The food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas 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.
Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by the mailbox on Saturday and the postal carrier will do the rest. It’s that simple and millions of Americans will be helped.
