Public Service Bulletin - USPS Food Drive - May 14
The 24th annual
National Association of Letter Carriers’
Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive
is on Saturday, May 14, 2016.
It's time to shop for extra items to put out for your mail carrier to pick up when he/she delivers your mail. They will sort it and give it to your local food banks.
More below:
It's nice to have a little notice this year. Sometimes I don't hear about it until the day or two before. This is enough notice to pick up a few extra items on your next shopping day. I have today learned that it is always the 2nd Saturday in May, so we won't have to worry about notice in the future.
Every second Saturday in May, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers, who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the nation.
A few Q&As from the FAQ page.
What do you mean by “non-perishable food?”
The top requested non-perishable food items are: cereal, pasta, pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce, rice, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meals (such as soups, chili and pasta), 100% juice, peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, canned protein (tuna, chicken and turkey), beans (canned or dry).
[A nice bag of stuff is great, but really even two or three items is worth putting out for them to pick up. Whatever you can afford to purchase extra, or maybe you have a few items currently in the pantry to give.]
Do I need to use a special bag?
No! No special bags are needed. Paper is sturdy and tends to hold more food, while plastic holds up better if it gets wet (in the rain, etc.). Cloth bags or boxes are also fine. So it’s your choice. And most bags and boxes can be easily recycled. We’ll take anything you leave out!
[If it's a closed plastic bag, I think you should mark it "USPS Food Drive."]
How do I know whether my local letter carrier or post office is taking part in the Food Drive?
Just call your local post office and ask to speak to your local food drive person.
Thank you, everybody!
Comments
Some years I get carried away
in the store and buy more than I can really afford. Last year somehow I thought I had a bunch of stuff, and when I got home, and separated out mine from theirs there was not much! I thought I had picked out more things while shopping. I ended up adding items I bought for myself. This year I'm going to put a small box in the shopping cart so I can see exactly what extra I have.
Thanks for this advance notice.
You're right, I usually find out about it a day or two before.
One tip people could do is when they go to the grocery store, with so many sales, just look for great sales even though you don't use that item. That way, you get a bigger bang for your buck.