PHOENIX — The 33rd Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive returns this Saturday, May 9, and all you have to do is leave a bag of non-perishables by your mailbox. Letter carriers, including USPS, will collect donations around the Valley during their regular morning routes.
Read more Nurses Week health check: The shortage, the stress and the pillow test
Organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, the drive is the largest single-day food drive in the country. Locally, donations go directly to St. Mary’s Food Bank, which is scrambling to fill a massive hole after recent federal cuts to food assistance programs wiped out one million pounds from their supply.
The drive first started in Phoenix before spreading nationally, and has been running since 1976. In past years, the Phoenix area has collected over 200,000 pounds in a single day. Organizers are hoping to hit that mark again or beat it.
In order to donate, fill a bag with non-perishable items like canned goods, soup, pasta, rice, and peanut butter, then leave it by your mailbox.
Read more Nintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2: Here’s how much and when the price will go up
On Saturday morning, mail carriers will pick it up and bring it to St. Mary’s. You can also drop food off at local USPS locations. St. Mary’s asks donors to please keep perishables, opened packages, and expired items out of your bag. Also avoid donating glass jars and water bottles, as they may break or puncture.
If you can’t spare food, you can also donate cash to the cause by clicking here. Food banks can stretch a dollar much farther than most individuals can at the grocery store.
Volunteers are also needed. St. Mary’s staff will be in full force Saturday sorting and processing donations, just visit their website to sign up.
Read more Seattle man investigated after viral video shows rock thrown at endangered monk seal in Hawaii