(NAPSI)—There’s hopeful news for the more than 50 million Americans who struggle with hunger.
On Saturday, May 14, thousands of Postal Service letter carriers will be helping to “Stamp Out Hunger.” Here’s how you can join with millions of other Americans to help:
Simply leave donations of non- perishable food items, such as canned soup, canned meats and fish, canned vegetables and fruit, as well as pasta and rice, next to your mailbox before the time of your regular mail delivery.
Letter carriers will do the rest, collecting the donations and delivering them to food banks and pantries in the community.
If you don’t have a mailbox, you can leave your donation on the porch. Also, a number of metropolitan post offices across the country have special collection boxes at their offices. Contact your local post office to find out how you can help.
“With hunger striking many needy Americans recently, including working families, children and the elderly, help is needed now more than ever before,” says Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.
Supporting the letter carriers in their effort to Stamp Out Hunger is entertainer/entrepreneur and host of “America’s Got Talent,” Nick Cannon.
Growing up, Cannon and his family turned to their local food pantry for help during tough times and experienced firsthand the importance of efforts to feed America’s hungry.
“Helping your neighbors in need is easy,” says Cannon in a public service announcement that emphasizes how the demand for food assistance has never been greater and how easy it is to participate in this year’s drive. “Leave your donations at your mailbox and your letter carrier will do the rest.”
Now in its 19th year, the Stamp Out Hunger effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, with more than 1 billion pounds of food donated since its inception in 1993.
Last year the letter carriers collected a record total of more than 77.1 million pounds of food from generous Americans, surpassing the previous record of 73.4 million pounds collected in 2009.
The Postal Service joins the National Association of Letter Carriers, Campbell Soup Company and Feeding America to conduct the Stamp Out Hunger initiative.
To learn more and participate in this year’s food drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com or www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, or follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger