Letter carriers team up with Food Bank to help Stamp Out Hunger

On Saturday, May 14, Campbell Soup Company will again join forces with Valley area letter carriers to Stamp Out Hunger across America, providing assistance to the millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on their tables every day.

Now in its 19th year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which is always held on the second Saturday in May, has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive. Since its inception, the drive has brought in more than one billion pounds of food.

To participate in the Stamp Out Hunger drive, Valley area residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soups, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Local letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

This annual drive is the largest of the year for the Food Bank, and it is especially important because it helps stock the Food Bank’s shelves before the summer, when there is often a decline in donations. More people than ever are relying on the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank for assistance. On average, the Food Bank is serving more than 35,600 people each month in Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Lexington and the surrounding counties. Unemployment and underemployment have driven thousands in our area into the ranks of the hungry.