BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Letter carriers across the nation will be picking up more than just mail at the mail box this weekend as part of their annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
It’s the 32nd year that National Association of Letter Carriers will hold the event and locally, branch 522 will lead the drive in Bloomington-Normal and pick up food along city routes on Saturday, May 10.
Other branches in other cities and towns will collect on their routes as well. To find your branch of the NALC and whether they are participating, click on this link.
“Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States,” according to the union’s website.
Postal customers are encouraged to leave non-perishable food or sanitary items in a bag by their mailbox. The items gathered will go to the Midwest Food Bank for distribution to area food pantries.
Local president Denise Howard said letter carriers see first hand the need in the area.
“That’s why we annually are so committed to this outreach. We trust our patrons will support and remember us on Saturday, May 10,”
National partners include the AFL-CIO, U.S. Postal Service, National Rural Letter Carriers Association, CVS, United Food & Commercial Workers, United Way of America, Kellogg’s, Valpak and Vericast.
In its 32 years, the food drive collected over 1.82 billion pounds.
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