Community Corner

'Stamp Out Hunger' Food Drive On Saturday

Residents are asked to leave non-perishable food in a bag by their mailbox on Saturday; the food is collected and distributed to local charities.

The largest one-day food drive is coming to a mailbox near you.

The U.S. Postal Service's "Stamp Our Hunger" drive is May 14. Letter carriers in San Diego Postal District (which includes San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial and Inyo counties) will join their colleagues across the country in picking up non-perishable food donations left at mailboxes.

The public is asked to leave the non-perishable food in a bag by their mailbox on Saturday. The food is then collected and distributed to local charities that provide it to needy people in the community.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Food banks are experiencing a skyrocketing demand tied to the current economic crisis, and donations are not keeping up with the increased need," a U.S. Postal Service news release stated. "The call for food is even greater during the summer months because many children are not in school and do not get school breakfasts or lunches."

Saturday's event marks the 19th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive. The Postal Service joins the NALC as official sponsors in this effort to “Stamp Out Hunger.” 

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Letter carriers collected more than 77 million pounds of food last year, the sixth year in a row that donations exceeded 70 million pounds. This year, total donations during the 19 years the drive has taken place are expected to surpass one billion pounds of food. In 2010, the San Diego District collected more than 958,000 pounds of food.


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