A nationwide mailbox food drive, described as the largest single-day food drive in the country, will take place on Saturday, May 13.
Postal customers can participate in the food drive, called the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive, by leaving non-perishable food items in a box or container next to their mailbox before mail is delivered on the day of the drive. Participants can also drop off items at their local post office.
“There is no easier way to donate,” Santa Barbara County Foodbank Chief People Officer Lisa Skvarla said in a press release. “Just leave the food in a sturdy bag by the mailbox. We’ll have volunteers at each post office ready to help unload the bags from our trusty postal carriers and get them on trucks to the warehouses.”
One in 10 Americans face hunger every day, according to the United States Postal Service, and food insecurity is expected to increase dramatically as CalFresh Emergency Allotments expire and as residents continue to face inflation and lost wages, a Santa Barbara County Foodbank press release said.
The CalFresh Emergency Allotments were a pandemic-era benefit that ended with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 — a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
“Many people in this country struggle with hunger every day,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said in the release. “We are honored to be able to help people in need by leading an effort that brings out the best in so many Americans. Six days a week, letter carriers see first-hand the needs in the communities where we work, and we’re committed to helping meet those needs.”
The event, conducted each year on the second Saturday of May by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), has run for over 30 years in all 50 states.
The drive has helped deliver more than 1.8 billion pounds of food, according to the USPS.
Several national partners are assisting the NALC, including the U.S. Postal Service, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO, Valpak, Vallassis, the Kellogg Company and CVS, according to the food bank press release.
