U.S. Postal Carrier Food Drive 2nd Saturday in May Each Year - Northern Arizona Food Bank

The easiest way to help feed your neighbors! The 2nd Saturday in May every year U.S. Postal Carriers will collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 local NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved in the drive.

Every second Saturday in May letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. They also collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive the largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the world.

Entering its 17th year, this years drive is May 9. The effort by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with the help of rural letter carriers, other postal employees and numerous other volunteers has resulted in delivery of nearly one billion pounds of donations to community food banks and pantries over the past 16 years.

In 2008, the drive collected 73,113,915 pounds of food for the needy from postal customers. That brought the total for the first 16 years to 909 million pounds.

The U.S. Postal Service and Campbell Soup Company are major supporters again in 2009, cosponsoring the printing of 125 million postcards to encourage the general public to participate in the drive. Campbell Soup also earmarked an additional 1 million pound canned food donation to the drive. Also returning as a major supporter is Cox Target Media and its Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, the nationwide direct mail marketing firm, which promotes the drive on 40 million packets delivered to postal customers.

The drive also relies on the backing of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, Americas Second Harvest, the nations food bank network; the United Way of America and its local United Ways, the AFL-CIO Community Services network, and countless local sponsors.

All citizens need do is to place a box or can of non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail on Saturday, May 9. The carrier will do all the rest. The food is taken back to a postal station, sorted, and then delivered to an area food bank or pantry. There it is available for needy families.

Some 35.5 million people face hunger every day in America, including 13 million children. This drive is one way people can help those right in their own city or town who need help.

The NALC food drive has received a number of accolades over the years, including two Presidential Certificates of Achievement, a special appreciation award in 2003 from Americas Second Harvest food bank network, the annual Humanitarian of the Year award in 2003 from Bon Appétit/Food Network, and the annual World Hunger Year/Chapin Award in 2004.

Again, this years drive will be held on its traditional second Saturday of May, May 9, 2009.

Help the U.S. Postal Service Stamp Out Hunger!

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