Saturday marks the 34th anniversary of the largest one-day food drive in the nation — the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from customers. The donations go directly to local food pantries.

Currently, more than 47 million Americans are unsure where their next meal will come from. More than 14 million are children who feel hunger's impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. Nearly 7.4 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.

This food drive's timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive most of their donations during the winter holiday season. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.

Participating is simple. Just leave non-perishable food donations in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, and a letter carrier will do the rest.

Over its more than 30-year history, the drive has collected well over 1.94 billion pounds of food, thanks to a Postal Service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

NOTE: Customers are encouraged to verify food collections with their letter carrier or by entering delivery ZIP Code at https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive/branch-lookup for local NALC Branch coverage in their area. If the search tool does not return any results, contact the local Post Office or email communityserviceshq@nalc.org.

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