Bay Area Hunger News: April 2013

Postal Carriers Enlist Public Support to Stamp Out Hunger

Largest single-day food drive to support families at risk of hunger to take place across the Bay Area and the nation on Saturday, May 11

On Saturday, May 11, people from across the country will partner with their letter carriers to help “Stamp Out Hunger.” Now in its 21^st 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 for food banks in the Bay Area.

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 11. Letter carriers will collect the food items and deliver them to their local food bank to then be distributed to the community to help those at risk of hunger.

“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 835,000 pounds of food for those in need. In 2012, drive organizers across the country collected more than 70 million pounds of total food donations for the ninth 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, more than 50 million Americans, including nearly 17 million children, are struggling with hunger.

“Bay Area food banks serve over 600,000 people each month, and need typically spikes during the summer when low-income families who rely on free- and reduced-priced school meals struggle to bridge the gap during school break,” said Suzan Bateson, executive director of Alameda County Community Food Bank. “Thanks to the generous support of the community during the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, we are able to better ensure our neighbors have the food and support 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 eight local food banks serving northern California counties. Collectively they serve 600,000 adults, seniors and children each month who are in need through more than 1,500 food pantries, children’s programs, shelters, soup kitchens, residential programs, and other emergency food providers.

For comment or to visit your local Food Bank on May 11, 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. 115

San Francisco Food Bank