Richmond County’s mail carriers are gearing up to help you help those in need in the community.
On Saturday, May 11, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will join forces with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) to help “Stamp Out Hunger” across North Carolina. Now in its 21st year, the annual food drive coordinates regional and national efforts to provide hunger relief to the millions of Americans struggling to put food on the table.
According to the United States Postal Service, all of the food and items collected remain in the local communities.
“We have the post offices in Richmond County participating,” said Monica Robbs, Medial Relations for USPS Charlotte. “That branch falls under the Sandhills Food Bank so all the donations will serve the community right there.”
To participate in the 21st Stamp Out Hunger food drive, residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 11. Letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and staff and volunteers will collect the donated food from area post offices.
“People should receive bags on Wednesday,” said Robb, who also mentioned that if folks are leaving town or won’t be able to put their bags out for other reasons, they can bring them to the post office. Some folks may have already received their bags.
“You can just drop them off right at the counter if you can’t be there Saturday. We’ll take the food,” said Robb.
Robb said apart from non-perishable items, people can also donate things for newborn babies such as diapers, or other toiletries that a person may need.
“Anything we would buy for ourselves is something someone may need who has to choose between taking care of themselves or their children or seniors,” said Robb.
Now in its 21st year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, having collected more than one billion pounds of food since its inception in 1993. In 2012, generous Americans donated more than 70 million pounds of food, which marked the ninth consecutive year that at least 70 million pounds were collected.
For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com or www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, and follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@civitasmedia.com.
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