This Saturday, May 14, marks the return of the “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign. The food drive was canceled for two years due to the pandemic. But this Saturday (May 14), the National Association of Letter Carriers will once again be collecting nonperishables to distribute to area food banks.
Can you help?
The country’s largest single-day food drive, Stamp Out Hunger will take place in 10,000 towns and cities across the United States. Given the scary-high price of food lately, it might feel harder to contribute. But let’s reframe that: Given the scary-high price of food lately, donations are needed more than ever.
If you can spare a can for your fellow man, I promise you that you’ll feel good about it. But only if you can afford it. You should not donate if you’re having trouble keeping food on your own table.
Or maybe your pantry is pretty secure, thanks to your frugalvore tendencies. Could you part with a box of mac ’n’ cheese or a can of tuna?
Tuna is a much-requested item, as are any protein sources. Here’s what the NALC is asking people to leave by their mailboxes on Saturday:
Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon)
Canned and boxed meals (soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese)
Canned or dried beans and peas (black, pinto, lentils)
Pasta, rice, cereal
Canned fruits
Fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)
Canned vegetables
Cooking oil
Boxed cooking mixes (pancake, breads)
To that list I would suggest peanut butter, jam or jelly in plastic bottles/tubs, canned pasta sauces (check the bottom shelf in that aisle for varieties like Hunts), boxed cornmeal or oatmeal, powdered/canned milk, canned peanuts (or other nuts), and boxes of dried fruit (raisins, apricots, et al.) and powdered/canned milk.
Stamp Out Hunger best practices
Here’s what you shouldn’t give: Unlabeled or rusty cans, homemade items, anything in glass, soda, alcoholic beverages, perishable items, or open or partially used items.
(And yes, I also can’t believe that some of those things need to be spelled out. But they do.)
Make sure that the food has not passed its sell-by date. That kind of thing doesn’t bother me, but it’s a liability to food drives.
Put your donations out before the letter carrier normally arrives.
If there’s even a chance of rain, put the foodstuffs out in a plastic bag rather than a paper one.
The bottom line
Food pantries are seeing a lot more need, due to inflation. But inflation is affecting how much some donors can afford to give.
Don’t short your own household. But check your pantry and/or this week’s supermarket sales. If you can swing even a 39-cent box of loss leader mac ’n’ cheese, I hope you’ll consider donating to Stamp Out Hunger. Kids love that orange stuff, and if their parents can score some powdered or liquid milk at the food bank, they’ll have something to feed them.
Ideal food? No. Here’s what else isn’t ideal: Going to bed hungry, at any age.
Got my card in my mailbox today from my postal carrier. I always try to set out a bag for this drive and the ones the local scouts do. None of us know what tomorrow will bring, so as you said, I help as I can. We have a great local food pantry here in my town, and with more and more flood causing storms, lots of folks who never thought they’d need help, have had those tough times made easier. Thanks for the reminder, I know not all carriers drop off those post cards.
With schools closing for summer vacation, a lot of families will have to do without those free breakfasts and lunches that were provided via the school cafeteria. Some communities have free feeds for the youngsters during the summer months, but it is possible that not all children can attend. So it would be doubly important for the food banks to have enough grub to cover this expanded need. Anything within the above-listed guidelines that you’d consider nutritious, as opposed to junk food, would be a blessing.
My bag of donations (which meet all the specs, but thank you for reminding folks of these) is packed and ready. Happy that this food drive is being resumed this year.
I am so glad you are encouraging participation in this food drive. Food insecurity is growing once again. I
I volunteered at the local food pantry for some time. It was set up like a grocery store and the clients were able to “shop” the shelves choosing the items needed. Although frugalvores like us would most likely select dried beans and canisters of oatmeal, these items often languished on the shelves of the food pantry. Our clients preferred canned beans and instant oatmeal. Many in need – especially single, working parents – have little time to cook and poorly equipped kitchens if they have kitchens at all. Some may just have a microwave or a hot plate. So think easy.
There were a few items that we could not keep on the shelves: instant mashed potatoes, boxed milk, spaghetti sauce, instant rice pouches (especially flavored items) and condiments. Things like mayo, mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper, seasonings, and sugar were coveted items and are luxuries when on a truly limited budget.
Please participate not just this week but regularly if you are able.
Thanks for the reminder that food insecurity exists all year long — not just during the winter holidays.
I’m glad they are doing this again! I always put something out for it in the past, but I haven’t received a notice about it, so I’m glad you posted this.
It’s more expensive, but also consider other nuts and other nut butters for those with peanut allergies. Gluten-free pastas can be donated as well.
I’ll get my bag ready, now that I know it’s this weekend.
Thanks for the reminder. I have things set aside, but sometimes miss the carrier when he comes through. Our local post office will accept drop off that day, I discovered.
Thank you for the reminder and suggested list.
I went to Costco picked up:
Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix (mix with water)
Swiss miss Hot chocolate- mix with water
Instant coffee, mix with water
Quaker oatmeal (old fashion)
Patty
All good choices!
Nice to hear from you, Patty.
I used to participate pre pandemic. I’ll drop a bag of pantry items at my post office Saturday since I’m rural now and the carriers may not have the time to pick up the food items.
We, too, did not get the postcard this year. We’re three years now at this address, and my husband checked with the carrier today!
I packed three bags with canned beans, the golden salmon, cereal, peanut butter and some cream-of-chicken soup. Threw in some canned pineapple, too.
I like that they do this. Thanks for talking it up. I posted about it on NextDoor.
Thanks for posting this. I’m a retired letter carrier and although the food drive created more work, it was very satisfying to know we were helping our community. One year as I was helping unload my mail truck at the food bank, the woman in charge told me the letter carriers food drive supplied them with enough food for those in need for the summer months. Also, please be aware this is the NALC food drive and not the rural carrier’s food drive although many of them participate too. This means if you have a mail carrier who walks up to your mailbox, he/she is a city carrier and more than likely participates and will take the food you would like to donate. If you have a mailbox the carrier drives up to, he/she is a rural carrier and they are not part of the NALC. Two separate unions. However, many rural carriers participate and will pick up the food you leave.
I always donate the mac and cheese with the sauce in a packet. It does cost more, but needs no milk.
For the past year and a half or so my husband has volunteered for the mobile food pantry in a couple of area towns. Of course he gets sent home with the same as everyone else. Some things we can’t or don’t use so I bag them up and take them to the grocery store lobby where they keep a couple boxes for donations for the county food bank for donations. It only makes sense to pass on the things we won’t use.
Very kind of you both to think of others.