Help Stamp Out Hunger

15th Year For Letter Carrier Food Drive

Residents throughout Omaha are being asked to help feed the needy by participating in a nationwide food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service and THE FOOD BANK.

Omaha Letter Carriers, along with their fellow Rural Carriers will collect non¬perishable food donations left by mailboxes along their routes as they deliver the mail on Saturday, May 10, to help stock local food banks for the needy, Donna Whitmarsh, President, Branch 5, National Association of Letter Carriers announced today.

This one-day food drive is part of a nationwide drive designed to fill food bank pantries through the summer months, when levels are traditionally low. Letter carriers from all 50 states and hundreds of cities will take part. This is the 15th year that the Omaha Post office has participated in this drive.

The effort by members of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Rural Letter Carriers and other volunteers is the largest one-day food drive in the nation (and in Omaha).

An estimated 35.5 million people face hunger every day in America, including more than 12 million children. In 2007, the drive collected 70, 745,176 million pounds of food — and more than three quarters of a billion pounds since its inception 16 years ago.

Thanks to the Omaha community last year, THE FOOD BANK in Omaha received 61,606 pounds of food.

“We ask all residents to leave non-perishable food items next to their mailbox on May 10 to help make this drive a success and help feed the needy in this area,” said Whitmarsh. “It may mean a heavier satchel for our carriers, but the burden will be eased by knowing that our efforts will help feed families in need.”

Food collected by letter carriers will be taken to THE FOOD BANK located in Omaha. Omaha Postmaster, EvaJon Sperling said the U.S. Postal Service is delighted to be a partner in this humanitarian effort. "The U.S. Postal Service touches the lives of all residents of the Omaha Area," Sperling said. "We are pleased that our postal facilities and operation can act as a conduit for our customers to help others in the community."

Don Schinzel, President of THE FOOD BANK, said, " THE FOOD BANK is very grateful for the dedicated effort of the Omaha postal employees and other volunteers in collecting food on May 10, 2008. This will be very instrumental in helping THE FOOD BANK meet its mission to alleviate hunger through the collection of donated food/grocery products and the distribution of these to charities serving the needy (over 360 agencies).

NOTE: Best time for interviews or photos would be any time after 4:00 p.m. Volunteers will be at the Food Bank until at least 6:30 p.m.