Letter Carriers Food Drive
You can help your letter carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” in our community by participating in the country’s largest one-day food drive! On Saturday, May 11th, all residents of Humboldt County are being asked to help local families experiencing food insecurity as a part of the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive. It’s easy to participate. Look for the blue donation bags in your mailbox the week leading up to the food drive. Simply place your donations of non-perishable food in the bag and leave it by your mailbox on the second Saturday in May. Your letter carrier will do the rest, picking up donations and delivering them to Food for People and their network of countywide food pantries.
This effort by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), with the help of rural carriers, postal employees, and numerous other volunteers, has resulted in the delivery of nearly 2 billion pounds of food to community food banks and pantries since its inception in 1993. The food drive collected over 43,970 pounds of food last year in Humboldt County. These donations play an important role in supplementing the food distributed by Food for People’s pantries and hunger-relief programs. The timing of this food drive is critical, as many food pantry sites have already distributed donations received during the holidays and many community members are struggling with rising food costs. The Letter Carriers’ Food Drive also helps us and our network of pantries stock up just before summer break, when many children go without free or reduced-cost meals they are accustomed to receiving during the school year, meaning many families face greater hardship once summer begins.
Community members can help through donations of nutritious food. The foods most needed include canned meats and fish, soups and stews, nut butters, and canned fruits and vegetables. Items that cannot be accepted include rusty or bulging cans, foods that are clearly beyond their expiration date, and home-canned items. Please try to avoid donations in glass or cardboard as they can easily crush when combined with heavier canned items. All food collected stays in the community in which it was donated to help local individuals and families in need. Questions about your community’s participation can be directed to your local postmaster.
Volunteers are needed to help sort and box the food when it is delivered to Food for People at 307 W. 14th St in Eureka on Saturday, May 11th. Please contact Food for People’s Volunteer & Direct Services Manager, Julie Ryan, at 707-445-3166 ext 310 or volunteer@foodforpeople.org for more information.
If you miss your letter carrier on Saturday, you may drop your donation off at Food for People Monday - Friday from 9 am - 4 pm, or contact the food pantry in your local community. A list of Food for People’s Pantry Network locations and their schedule of operating hours can be found here. Don’t have food in your pantry to donate? Financial donations can go far! Food for People can take your financial donation and turn it into more food with their bulk purchasing power. Give online today.