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Nation's Letter Carriers Prepared for 50-State Food Drive Saturday

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 May 2009, 11:45 CDT

WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Letter carriers across the country will collect non-perishable food donations Saturday (May 9) as they deliver mail along their postal routes in the nation's largest one-day effort to Stamp Out Hunger.

The 17th annual Letter Carriers' National Food Drive is being conducted by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) with the assistance of rural letter carriers and other postal employees and volunteers. The postal union is seeking to exceed last year's record 73.1 million pounds of food delivered to community food banks and pantries.

NALC President William H. Young said the food donations from postal customers will help millions of American families caught in the downward economic spiral that has caused high unemployment and tightened credit. The drive is especially important for children who, during the summer months, see most school lunch programs suspended.

"This is a difficult time for many families. It is critical that the food banks and pantries across the nation have sufficient supplies to provide nutritious meals for the growing number of people needing assistance," Young said. "Letter carriers take pride in delivering the generous donations of their postal customers to those in need in their community."

Donations will be collected along postal routes in over 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions. Citizens should leave non-perishable food donations - such as canned meat and fish, soup, cereals, pasta and rice - in a bag near their mailbox on Saturday before their letter carrier arrives. Glass containers and expired items should be avoided. (In Chicago and New York City, residents should take their donation to their local post office or make an online donation.)

Over 120 million postcards, sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company and the U.S. Postal Service's Priority Mail, have been mailed to postal customers to remind them of the drive. Other national supporters are Valpak, United Way of America, the AFL-CIO and the Feeding America food bank network, formerly known as America's Second Harvest.

SOURCE National Association of Letter Carriers

Source: PR Newswire

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