Carriers Across The Country To Collect Food Donations For The Hungry (NAPSA)—On Saturday, May 14, 2005, the National Association of Letter Carriers will conduct its 18th annual food drive in an effort to Stamp Out Hunger! Considered the largest single-day food drive in the country, the Stamp Out Hunger! effort involves the nation’s 240,000 letter carriers who will collect nonperishable food items to benefit food banks and pantries across America. Participating in the food drive is easy. Just leave a sturdy bag of nonperishable boxed or canned food items, such as soup, pasta, canned vegetables and fruits, cereal or rice, next to your mailbox before your letter carrier arrives on Saturday, May 14. Your letter carrier will then collect and deliver your donation to a food bank or pantry in your community. This is an important initiative as there are millions in need. In fact, according to the USDA, 33.2 million Americans were food insecure in 2002 and the numbercontinues to rise. Summer donations are critical for food banks as they no longer have the benefit of holiday food drives, and manychildren no longer can rely on the school lunch program for daily subsistence. Last year, with donations from millions of generous Americans, a record 70 million pounds of food were delivered to help those in need. Campbell Soup Companyis hoping to help the letter carriers surpass last year’s impressive total by kick-starting the drive with a 10 million pound donation of food. For more information about the 18th Annual Stamp Out Hunger! food drive, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit www.nalc.org.
