The nation’s largest one-day food drive takes place Saturday,
May 8, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. The goal: to collect more than one billion pounds of food nationwide. Last year, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area’s “Stamp Out Hunger” drive collected more than one million pounds of food.
And this year the need is even greater, reports Pam Donato, president of NALC Branch 9 in Minneapolis.
“We need your help. Children are going hungry,” said Mike Zagaros, Branch 9 executive vice president.
“It’s really simple, put the food out” by your mailbox Saturday morning May 8, Donato urged.
Earlier in the week, your letter carrier will leave a blue plastic bag in your mailbox. Place canned food items or other non-perishable unopened food items in the bag and leave it outside by your mailbox for your letter carrier to pick up.
“Something that’s so simple just got more simple,” Donato added. This year, you can make a donation to the food drive by texting the word “hunger” to 27722. Your cell phone bill will show a $5 charge, which will be donated to the food drive – and will buy $45 worth of food.
Or, you can donate online at www.stampouthunger.2harvest.org.
Visit the same website if you’d like to volunteer to help letter carriers load semi-trailers at Cub Foods locations in the metro area. You can sign up for a volunteer shift near you on-line.
“We do still need volunteers,” Donato reported.
In previous years, local unions volunteered to staff the work at a specific Cub Foods location, but this year the volunteer sign up is taking place only on-line, Donato said.
The North Suburban Labor Council, however, will be providing volunteers at the Blaine North store at 12595 Central Ave. NE, Blaine.
“The food we collect in Minneapolis-St. PaulS all gets moved to local food shelves,” Donato reported. So your donation will help neighbors in your community.
More than 1,000 NALC branches across the United States will participate in this year’s 18th annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.
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