STAMP OUT HUNGER – FOOD DRIVE

Yes, it is that time again when we start our preparation for the nation’s largest one-day food drive. On the second Saturday in May, May 9, 2025, letter carriers throughout the nation, including those in Branch 132, will head out to their routes with two goals in mind. One delivering the mail to their customers and two collecting non-perishable food items to be distributed to local food pantries within our delivering communities.

Since 1993, letter carriers have participated in the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive, with the exception of the Covid period. According to headquarters records, the food drive has generated a total collection of 1.9 billion pounds of food over the history of the food drive, which provided a blessed joy to the many families receiving the food. In the history records of Branch 132, we collected one year over 1,000,000,000 pounds of food. We can accomplish that goal again if we work together.

To ensure a successful food drive, it is now time for each office within Branch 132 to assign someone to serve as the Food Drive Coordinator. That individual would be responsible for educating the membership on the importance of the food drive and for making sure their office has a sufficient number of food drive cards and bags to be delivered to the customers. Their duties would

include facilitating the posting of the food drive banner outside of each respective post office, finding a local pantry to receive the collected food, having enough empty equipment at each office to hold the collected food, collecting money from carriers for food drive t-shirts ordered and submitting that money to the branch, and at the end of the drive, submitting to the branch the total amount of food collected. Their duties could be expanded to hosting a breakfast/lunch on the day of the food drive to thank the carriers for their participation or whatever means they chose to use to ignite participation from their fellow coworkers.

The need to help those in need is even greater this year. According to statistics, approximately 733 million people around the world are currently experiencing hunger, which equates to roughly 1 in 11 people globally. In North Texas, one in eight people, or 640,000 of our neighbors, face hunger. That figure includes one in five children. In fact, Dallas County has the fourth highest rate of food-insecure children in the nation. Due to their food insecurity, these people are at risk for hunger and possibly death.

At our national convention, branches are recognized for collecting the largest amount of food per similar sized offices. Let’s roll up our sleeves and make a genuine effort to be amongst the branches who not only collect the largest amount of food but who also provide nourishment to a large number of families who would otherwise go without food. Please do not look at this food drive as extra work. Focus on the many families who will benefit from your efforts. I am hoping with anticipation that we receive the support we will need from all letter carriers and from the Postal Service. Let’s have a successful food drive in 2025!