Colorado & Wyoming letter carriers to collect food for hungry on May 9

DENVER, CO — On Sat., May 9, Colorado and Wyoming letter carriers will again collect food on their routes to feed the hungry in their communities. May 9^th is the annual letter carriers food drive across America.

Postal customers wishing to donate food should put canned, packaged and non-perishable food items in a plastic bag, and leave it by your mailbox on Sat., May 9^th, before mail delivery.

Items most needed are canned meats, soups, fruits and vegetables; and dry/non-perishable packaged items with lots of protein/carbohydrates like powdered milk, pasta, cereals and dried packaged vegetables like mashed potatoes and stuffing. About 1.3 lbs. equates to a full meal, according to food bank officials.

All the food collected goes to local community food banks and pantries for distribution to those who most need it throughout the year. In 2008, Colorado and Wyoming residents combined to donate more than one million pounds of food in the postal drive to feed the hungry in their states.

Last year’s drive collected a record 73.1 million pounds nationwide to help feed America’s hungry. It’s the 17^th year of the food drive. Over 10,000 communities and Post Offices in all 50 states are participating.

In addition, King Soopers and City Market supermarkets across Colorado are supporting the Letter Carriers Food Drive for the hungry this year. They will have special “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” bins so customers can drop off their canned and non-perishable packaged food items.

"We encourage postal customers throughout our great states of Colorado and Wyoming to again give generously to our letter carriers' food drive on Saturday, May 9^th,” says Selwyn Epperson, postal district manager for both states. “With the poor economy, more people are out of jobs this year and many are struggling to feed their families with more of the needy going hungry. Your food donations will help out those who most need it. We thank our letter carriers, food drive volunteers and sponsors, community food banks and pantries, and our Colorado and Wyoming postal customers for helping to stamp out hunger.”