SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Saturday, May 14 marks the return of one of America’s great days of giving – the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. According to the NALC, over the past quarter-century, letter carriers nationwide have collected more than 1.5 billion pounds of food.
This year’s drive will be the first since 2019, as the pandemic forced the cancellation the past two years.
Each year, on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from their postal customers. In Springfield, both the in-town letter carriers and the rural carriers support the drive, helping the local drive to collect more food than any other Stamp Out Hunger drive in the state. These donations go directly to the food shelf at the Springfield Family Center. “The need for food donations is great,” says letter carrier Matt Downing, who spearheads the local effort.
“Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons,” Downing adds. “By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.”
Participating in this year’s Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Food donation bags will be delivered with your mail on Wednesday, May 11. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in the provided bag by your mailbox on Saturday and your letter carrier will do the rest.
The Springfield Rotary Club will be working with the letter carriers again to make this year’s food drive a success. Rotarians will be at the Family Center most of Saturday, helping unload collected bags and transporting them to the center’s food shelves. Food security has been a focus of the Springfield Rotary Club: in the fall, the Club held a fill-the-truck food drive in the Springfield Plaza that alleviated the food shortage around the holiday season.
In support of the Stamp Out Hunger Drive, a number of local businesses have contributed by sponsoring the collection bags.
“I invite you to join in America’s great day of giving and help us in our fight to end hunger,” says Downing.