Monday, April 28, 2014

Postal Carriers Enlist Public Support to Stamp Out Hunger on May 10

Largest single-day food drive to support families at risk of hunger to take place across the Bay Area on Saturday, May 10


On Saturday, May 10, people from across the country will partner with their letter carriers to help “Stamp Out Hunger.” Now in its 22nd year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the largest single-day effort to combat hunger in America and the largest single-day food drive to support Bay Area Food Banks, which serve over 600,000 children, adults and seniors each month.

To participate, residents are asked to place a sturdy bag of non-perishable food items like peanut butter, pasta, rice, low-sugar cereal, and canned foods such as tuna, meat, stew, soup, and vegetables, by their mailbox before their mail is delivered on Saturday, May 10. Letter carriers will collect the food items and deliver them to their local food bank to then be distributed to those at risk of hunger in their community.

“As Letter Carriers, we’re out on the streets every day, meeting our neighbors, and have even become a part of many families in the communities we serve,” said Anthony Lowe, Alameda County’s NALC Food Drive coordinator. “But we also see who’s struggling – and unfortunately those numbers are growing. This drive means a lot to the letter carriers, personally, to be able to make a difference in our neighbors’ lives during this time. We thank the community for all of their support to make this drive so successful.”  

Last year, the Bay Area Stamp Out Hunger food drive collected more than 800,000 pounds of food for those in need. In 2013, drive organizers across the country collected more than 70 million pounds of total food donations for the tenth consecutive year.

Despite the generosity of millions of Americans who have supported the letter carriers' food drive in previous years, the need for food assistance still exists for many families. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States, nearly 49 million Americans, including more than 16 million children, are struggling with hunger. The skyrocketing cost of living has left even more Bay Area families struggling, while new issues like California’s drought are adding to food bank concerns. 

“Food banks are already stretched heading into a high-need time of year,” said Suzan Bateson, executive director of Alameda County Community Food Bank. “Summer break is difficult for families relying on free- and reduced-priced school meals. They struggle to bridge the meal gap. The generous support from Stamp Out Hunger is critical to ensuring our neighbors have the food they need during this difficult time.”  

Learn More About the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive: http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/

About Bay Area Food Banks
Bay Area Food Banks is a collaboration of seven local food banks serving northern California counties. Collectively they serve 700,000 adults, seniors and children each month through nearly 1,600 food pantries, children’s programs, shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs, and other emergency food providers. Learn more at www.bayareahunger.org.

For comment or to visit your local Food Bank on May 10, please contact the appropriate food bank representative below.

Bay Area Food Banks - Media Contacts

Alameda County Community Food Bank
Michael Altfest - maltfest@accfb.org
(510) 684-8655

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Lisa Sherrill - lsherrill@foodbankccs.org
(925) 408-7655

Redwood Empire Food Bank (Sonoma County)
Lee Bickley - lbickley@refb.org
(707) 523-7900, ext. 15

San Francisco Food Bank
Blain Johnson - bjohnson@sffb.org
415-282-1900 ext. 270

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Caitlin Kerk - ckerk@shfb.org
(408) 858-9208