GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Letter carriers will deliver your mail in all types of weather, but on the second Saturday in May, they also pick up non-perishable food items to help replenish food pantries.
This is a part of the national ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Food Drive.
“Everybody needs a little help every now and then,” shared Addie Harford, Gainesville President of the National Association of Letter Carriers.
This all started back in 1993, and is the nation’s largest one-day food drive.
“We give back to our food banks because we are out there every day, and we see how hard it is, and we just want to contribute back to our community,” said Harford.
The Gainesville food pantries benefiting this year include Food for Kids and Catholic Charities. Harford says being a part of this means a lot to everyone involved.
“They care very much about this day because they know that they are picking up the food for the families and the people who are in need,” Harford shared.
But this year, it means a little bit more, as people struggle to afford groceries.
“Everything is going up. I mean, the price of eggs has gone up and they’ve gone down, and just everybody needs help every now and then,” said Harford. “And it’s something that we can help restock the food banks because they have been depleted because of inflation being so bad.”
According to the NALC, currently, more than 44 million Americans are unsure where their next meal will come from. In the more than 30 years since this food drive began, around 1.9 billion pounds of food have been collected for those in need.
After all the food is collected, they weigh it. If you missed donating this year, make sure to mark your calendar for May 9 next year, so you too can help out your local food pantries.
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