Postal carriers sponsor 16th annual food drive
Local collection of goods will benefit High Country

By Sherrie Norris

Thousands of post offices around the country, including those in Watauga County, will be participating in the 16th Annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ food drive on Saturday, May 10, sponsored in large part by the National Letter Carriers Association (NLCA) and Campbell Soup Company.

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As past drives have indicated, this annual event plays a critical role in America’s effort to aid families in need, especially in providing high-quality and high-protein food. Members of the NLCA encourage residents along their postal routes to lend a hand to their community food pantry, which locally, is the Hunger and Health Coalition in Boone that serves thousands of clients monthly who might otherwise not have a nutritious meal. In the last couple of years, more than13,000 pounds of food have been brought in following each event and nearly as quickly distributed at that location. The need is even greater this year, a spokesperson stated, due to economic restraints and an increase in clientele. Compton Fortuna, executive director of The Hunger & Health Coalition Inc. of Boone estimated earlier that if every resident of Watauga County donated two cans of food, it would amount to nearly 80,000 pounds.”

In the course of one month, the agency distributes “about 10,000 pounds of non perishable food,” she said, emphasizing the projected amount could potentially fill the pantry for eight months.

Always held on the second Saturday of May, it has become known as the largest one-day food drive in the nation. The May 2007 drive brought in 70.7 million pounds, the fourth consecutive year the effort has exceeded 70 million pounds.

Whether we live on a rural mail route or not, we each can do our part to help take a bite out of an ever-present epidemic that affects millions on a daily basis. Letter carriers will collect non-perishable donations as they deliver mail along their postal routes; those of us who receive mail at the post office can just as easily drop off our donations in the lobbies.

Since its inception in 1993, the nationwide drive has collected and delivered over 836.2 million pounds of food to help hungry families. “Stamp Out Hunger,” will take a big bite out of a problem faced by over 35 million Americans who are affected by hunger annually. Of those without a viable food source in our country alone, nearly 13 million are children; 3 million are elderly and unable to provide for themselves.

The second Saturday of May was chosen for the food drive because supplies from holiday gift-giving has begun to run low in most food banks and officials are concerned that as the school year ends, many children will not receive adequate nourishment during the summer months.

The U.S. Postal Service has pledged its assistance at every level, from enthusiastic support by Postmaster Gen. John E. Potter and others at USPS Headquarters to hands-on backing by many area and district managers, postmasters and postal supervisors.

America’s Second Harvest, the national food bank network, assists with extensive promotion, both nationally and locally. And the United Way of America, along with chapters across the country, provides important coordination and promotion in many cities and towns.

The drive has two national corporate supporters, Campbell Soup Company and Valpak/Cox Target Media which are joined by other regional sponsors. Campbell Soup is he largest supporter, partnering with the Postal Service in printing 124 million postcards to alert the public to the drive, in addition to a “massive public relations boost” that includes television spots featuring the Harlem Globetrotters, a special “Stamp Out Hunger” coupon in newspapers coming this Sunday and much more. The soup giant also helps with the production of materials that assist NALC branches, including inflatable soup cans and yard signs. And Campbell’s will once again donate 1 million cans of soup for nationwide distribution, plus 1,000 cans of soup to food banks or pantries designated by each of the top food-gathering branches in 10 membership categories.

In addition to the postcards, set for delivery just days before the drive, Valpak has given the country advance notice through 44 million direct-mail advertising envelopes that prominently feature the drive. These packets should have arrived in mailboxes from mid March through late April.

It’s simple to participate in the huge effort – just place non-perishable food items, such as canned soups and meats, vegetables, juice, pasta, cereal and rice, in a bag next to your mailboxes before regular mail delivery on Saturday morning, May 10. Your mail carrier will collect the food, after which it will be taken to the community post offices and then delivered to the Hunger & Health Coalition, where it will be distributed to those in need.