United Way of Lowndes County and the National Association of Letter Carriers are partnering May 9 for the nationwide Stamp Out Hunger food drive that will feed millions of people. It’s the largest one-day food collection effort in the country, taking place in more than 10,000 cities, towns and metro areas.
All residents are asked to leave donations of non-perishable foods by their mail boxes or mail receptacles. Letter carriers will pick them up.
Last year, more than 72 million pounds of food were collected by postal carriers, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service in Buffalo, New York. During the drive’s history, it has collected more than one billion pounds of food.
The date of the food drive is not random. It is timed to replenish supplies at food banks and pantries, which receive most of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Many pantries are depleted by springtime, and are low on supplies in the summer, when many school breakfast and lunch programs aren’t available to children in need.
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