Letter carriers again helping to 'Stamp Out Hunger'

When letter carriers take to the roads of Putnam County on Saturday, not only will they be delivering the mail, they will also be collecting goods for those who need it most right here in the community.

As part of the 21st annual Stamp Out Hunger national food drive on Saturday, May 11, the carriers will be picking up bags and boxes of canned goods and other non-perishable food and non-food items for local food pantries.

Carriers from the Greencastle Post Office will be collecting for the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry.

Food may be left at mailboxes and in post offices.

The efforts of letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with the help of rural letter carriers, other postal employees and numerous other volunteers has resulted in delivery of nearly 1.2 million pounds of donations to community food banks and pantries over the past 20 years.

Last May, carriers collected 70.7 million pounds of food at a time when hunger remains a growing problem. This was the ninth consecutive drive surpassing 70 million pounds.

Nearly 1,500 local NALC branches are involved in this year's drive.

The drive relies on the support of Campbell Soup Co., AARP Drive to End Hunger, Feeding America, Valpak Direct Marketing, the U.S. Postal Service, United Way, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Rural Letter Carriers Association, AFL-CIO, Uncle Bob's Self Storage, GLS Companies, Publix, Source Direct Plastics and Valassis.

Support is also provided from "Family Circus" cartoonist Jeff Keane, who creates a special cartoon to promote the drive.