Letter carriers in Lee County are gearing up for the 26th annual National Letter Carriers Food Drive. The nation’s largest single-day food drive, “Stamp Out Hunger,” will be held on Saturday, May 12. This is the one day when letter carriers collect non-perishable food that has been left by mailboxes.
If you’re a winter resident headed up north before May 12, you can help! When you empty your pantry before you leave, just drop off unopened, non-perishable food items in the lobby of the post office near your home.
Locally, the Harry Chapin Food Bank and the United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties partner with the letter carriers to make the food drive happen. Hundreds of volunteers assist the letter carriers with picking up the food, and also unload and sort the food as it’s brought to various postal drop-off sites.
Food collected in Lee County will be distributed by the Food Bank and several other agencies. All food collected in the food drive will be distributed to participating agencies at no cost. The Letter Carriers’ Food Drive is pivotal in helping food banks and the agencies they serve stay supplied with food during the summer months, when school is out and the need is great.
Nonperishable food means food in unopened, non-breakable containers, such as peanut butter, pasta, tuna, rice, beans, cereal, canned meats, fruits, vegetables, soups and other items.