Letter carriers collect food for the hungry this weekend

The nation's largest food drive celebrates its 15th anniversary while helping millions of Americans.

On Saturday, May 12, letter carriers around the country will join forces with Campbell Soup Company as part of the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger! food drive.

Now in its 15th year, the Stamp Out Hunger effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive, having collected more than 765 million pounds of food since its inception in 1993.

To help Stamp Out Hunger!, simply leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to your mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on May 12. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans. Local letter carriers will then collect donations from homes across the city and deliver them to the Salvation Army food bank.

According to America's Second Harvest --The Nation's Food Bank Network, 35 million people are food insecure, hungry or at risk of hunger. Approximately one in four people in a soup kitchen line is a child.

For information about the 15th Annual Stamp Out Hunger! effort in your community, ask your letter carrier, contact the post office or go to www.helpstampouthunger.com.