Postal carriers in Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Port Hadlock and Forks will participate in the 22nd annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive this Saturday, while Sequim will collect food the following Saturday.
Letter carriers will collect nonperishable food donations in or near mailboxes in the Port Angeles, Forks, Port Townsend and Port Hadlock areas Saturday.
Since the Sequim Irrigation Festival is in full swing this Saturday, Sequim carriers will collect donations next Saturday, May 17.
In Port Townsend last year, more than 11,000 pounds of food was collected.
In Port Angeles, the drive collected more than 8,500 pounds of food,
Local food banks
Donations go to local food banks.
Postal carriers deliver bags to homes that can be used for donations of such nonperishable food as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal.
The bags can be left by mailboxes Saturday for pickup.
The National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger event is held the second Saturday in May.
Last year, the drive collected more than 74 million pounds of food nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people.
“Our food drive’s timing is crucial,” said Port Angeles letter carrier Katie Quast.
“Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.”
For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, visit www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger or follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.
