No matter how old we grow, it’s always a thrill to see that little blue box on the front door filled with what you have ordered. However, not everyone is as privileged as we are. Some cannot even afford two meals a day. For this simple reason, Stamp Out Hunger 2022 is here to help.
With this drive, it is easy to pay back the excitement you feel every time your mail carrier leaves your Shop LC order at your doorstep.
Are you wondering about this food drive? What about the difference it will make? Let us share what we know about the NALC food drive 2022!
Origin of the Mail Carrier Food Drive
Stamp Out Hunger 2022 is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the mail carriers’ food drive. The NALC (National Association of Letter Carriers) has conducted a nationwide food drive annually for 30 years.
This drive aims to collect non-perishable food donations from residents through the postal routes and donates them to people in need in the community.
This event is held on the 2nd Saturday of May each year. This year, Stamp Out Hunger 2022 will be held on May 14. The history of this food drive is as interesting as this whole event!
It all started as an NALC community service effort tradition when several state branches of NALC were collecting non-perishable food items for the needy.
This little effort got major notice in 1991; it became a nationwide effort! Then, in 1993, the whole drive was revamped, with each state having at least one participating NALC branch.
With each year, this drive has become bigger. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, this mail carrier food drive has collected over 1.8 billion pounds of food!
Need Of the Hour
Held since 1993, Stamp Out Hunger 2022 is the largest one-day food drive in the country hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers. With a two year break due to Covid-19, the NALC food drive 2022 is back.
These food banks and pantries help one in every eight Americans who struggle with hunger. In addition, millions of Americans in society face challenging situations where they have lost jobs, have serious medical conditions, have unexpected responsibilities, and much more. Such people are our neighbors, friends, and families, and they are uncertain of when they will have their next meal.
Moreover, the need increases during the summer as most food drives decrease during the summer. It’s a critical time as many food banks and pantries start running out of donations received during the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Stamp Out Hunger 2022 can make a positive difference to many Americans, and it’s easy to do your part!
What Can You Do to Contribute?
It’s easy to help the NALC food drive 2022. Just leave your any sturdy bag filled with non-perishable foods near your mailbox before mail delivery on May 14, 2022. Your letter carrier will take care of the rest.
The most requested food items are canned vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, rice, low-sodium canned soup, canned or dried beans, canned tuna and chicken, canned fruit, oatmeal, and high-fiber cereal without added sugars.
You can become a volunteer too!
What started as a small effort to contribute to society has become one of the biggest food drives in the country. For this reason, a lot of support is required from the people who can volunteer to Stamp Out Hunger 2022.
Volunteers would go with the letter carriers on the larger mail routes to collect food bags. Since many food donations are received on the larger route, volunteer help is much appreciated as it lightens the carrier’s load.
With 30 years of commitment towards a noble cause, this national drive, once started by a few letter carriers, has brought new hopes and life to many Americans who struggle to get even one meal a day. However, with approximately 2 billion pounds of food collected so far, the need does not subside. It has become a huge responsibility for all of us to help those expecting help from us.
On May 14, extend your help and support to Stamp Out Hunger 2022 in the fight to end hunger by placing a sturdy bag of non-perishable food items near your mailbox.