Stamping Out Hunger in America

National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive Set for May 9

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — On the second Saturday in May — May 9, 2009 — letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America will deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. They also will collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers participating in the 17th annual NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive – the largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the world. On May 9, customers are being encouraged to leave donations of non-perishable food by their mailbox for collection by their letter carrier.

“Our efforts in this important event are critical, not only in helping meet the needs of vulnerable people in our community, but also in demonstrating the compassion and goodwill of the Postal Service and its employees,” said San Francisco District Manager Winifred Groux. “This year, with the state of the economy, the need is greater than ever.”

Over the past 16 years, letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), 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.

In 2008, the drive collected 73.1 million pounds of food for the needy from postal customers; almost 160,000 pounds in the San Francisco Bay Area. That brought the total for the first 16 years to 909 million pounds.

Letter 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.

Some 35.5 million people face hunger every day in America, including more than 12 million children. This drive is one way people can help those right in their own city or town who need help.

Campbell Soup Company and the U. S. Postal Service 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.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.