Dear Editor,

Saturday, May 11th marks the 30th Anniversary of one of America’s great days of giving – the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers from NALC Branch 775 collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people in Niles, Dowagiac, Berrien Springs, Three Oaks, and New Buffalo, who need our help.

Over the course of its 30-year history, the drive has collected over 1.9 billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The need for food donations is great. Currently, more than 44 million Americans are unsure where their next meal will come from. More than 13 million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. Nearly 5.5 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.

Our food drive’s timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive most of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. 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.

Helping is easy! We are asking our customers to leave non-perishable food donations in or by your mailbox Saturday May 11, 2024, and your letter carrier will do the rest. Please help your local letter carriers and the U.S. Postal Service’s fight to Stamp Out Hunger.

Shelly Tropp,

Niles