The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is encouraging community members to participate in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive this Saturday by donating food or volunteering at a local collection site.
Returning after a two-year hiatus, Stamp Out Hunger is the nation’s largest one-day food collection effort, hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Those wishing to donate can leave non-perishable food items at their mailbox for their postal carrier to pick up on Saturday. Among those food donations most needed include canned fruits, meats, and vegetables low in sodium and sugar. Please avoid any item that requires refrigeration, as well as items in glass.
The Food Bank also is seeking volunteers to assist with collecting and sorting food donations at post offices in Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Charlottesville. Volunteer shifts will run between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“Stamp Out Hunger is the country’s largest annual food drive that benefits the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, made possible by the generous spirit of our community and our local letter carriers,” said Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “We are thrilled to see its return and grateful for all who can participate – whether by donating food or volunteering at a collection site. Heading into summer, the donations are very much needed as the upcoming months can be a difficult season for many, especially households with children who don’t have access to free or reduced-price school meals when school is out.”
In the summer months, the Food Bank typically sees a decline in community food donations. Stamp Out Hunger helps bolster food supplies ahead of the season to support individuals and families experiencing hunger.
The Food Bank collected 316,000 pounds during the last SOH event, which helped provide over 263,000 meals to guests during the summer.
Over its 30-year history, the food drive has collected 1.82 billion pounds of food to help feed people across the country who experience food insecurity.
A full list of needed food items and volunteer opportunities can be found at brafb.org/ event/stamp-out-hunger.
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