Residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties can help feed hungry neighbors in need by donating to the Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 14.
This is the 30th year for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive – the largest, national, single-day effort to put food on the table for millions of Americans.
Food collected in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties stays here, helping to feed those who are struggling with food insecurity in our community. The NALC food drive was canceled for two years due to the pandemic, and local food banks say the need for a successful event this year is greater than ever.
“Manna has seen the need for food assistance in our community grow significantly since the last Stamp Out Hunger in 2019, and we don’t anticipate it to slow soon,” said Dede Flounlacker, Executive Director of Manna Food Pantries. “Stamp Out Hunger is the most important annual food drive for many of the area’s food pantries, including Manna. This food drive makes it possible for Manna to feed thousands of children, seniors, veterans, families, and individuals in need. Every food donation collected by letter carriers helps meet the needs of hungry neighbors in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.”
Residents are encouraged to leave a bag of healthy, non-perishable food items, such as canned chicken, canned tuna, canned fruit in 100% juice, dry breakfast items (oatmeal, whole-grain cereal), canned vegetables, peanut butter, and/or dry beans next to their mailbox prior to regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 14. Residents should not donate items in glass containers or items that have been opened or homemade.
Escambia and Santa Rosa letter carriers will collect food donations that will benefit individuals and families served by Manna Food Pantries, Feeding the Gulf Coast, ACTS Ministries, We Care Ministries, and Warrington Emergency Aid Center.
“We are so thankful to the National Association of Letter Carriers and our community for their support through this annual food drive. This food will greatly help our one in seven neighbors struggling with hunger,” says Michael Ledger, President & CEO of Feeding the Gulf Coast. "Feeding the Gulf Coast has distributed more than 4.3 million meals into Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties to address the increase in need over the last year. Food drives such as Stamp Out Hunger make an incredible impact in helping the food bank and its partners provide steady, nutritious meals to the hard-working families and individuals in our community”
Residents of the two-county area will receive a Stamp Out Hunger postcard reminder in the mail, as well as a bag to fill with donation items. For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, please visit nalc.org/community-service/food-drive or Stamp Out Hunger on Facebook.
Several partners are assisting the NALC in the food drive: the United States Postal Service, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA), the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Valpak, United Way, the AFL-CIO, CVS, Kellogg’s and Vericast.