SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – May 9, 2016 – Letter carriers and hunger have one thing in common: neither is affected by the season, which is why on Saturday, May 14th, letter carriers will collect food to help people facing hunger this summer. Utah Food Bank asks residents across the state to help “Stamp Out Hunger” by filling any bag or box with non-perishable food items to leave next to their mailbox by 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 14th, for pickup by their local letter carrier. Look for reminders in your mailbox during the week leading up to the food drive to encourage statewide participation.
Letter carriers will be collecting and delivering the donations to Utah Food Bank and their statewide network of 140 partner agencies. All donations will be distributed to food pantries in the community where the donation is made. Alternatively, donations can be dropped off at the closest food pantry or regional food bank, Utah Food Bank’s warehouse (located at 3150 South 900 West in Salt Lake City) or any Harmons location. Donated food should be commercially packaged and non-perishable items low in sodium, sugar, and corn syrup. Most needed food items include beef stew, chili, peanut butter, boxed meals and canned meats.
For residents who prefer to support the effort financially, Utah Food Bank has set up a Virtual Food Drive, allowing users to designate the types of food they wish to donate, while leveraging Utah Food Bank’s purchasing power to stretch donations even further. This can be found on Utah Food Bank’s website at www.utahfoodbank.org/stampouthunger.
“1 in 5 Utah kids risk missing a meal today due to lack of resources, and 423,000 Utahns are unsure where their next meal will come from,” said Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank chief development officer. “The donations received as a result of this food drive come at a crucial time as school gets out and many kids are left without access to school meal programs, placing additional strain on already tight family budgets.”
The 24th annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is sponsored nationally by the National Association of Letter Carriers in conjunction with the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and United States Postal Service. In Utah and across the nation, this food drive has emerged as one of the largest single-day food drives, resulting in more than 70 million pounds of food nationally last year.
Founded in 1904, Utah Food Bank has operated under various names but remains true to its mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide by providing food to a statewide network of 140 emergency food pantries and agencies. Last fiscal year, Utah Food Bank distributed 37.5 million pounds of food and goods, the equivalent of approximately 31.3 million meals, to families and individuals in need. For more information about Utah Food Bank, visit www.utahfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UtahFoodBank and Twitter at www.twitter.com/UtahFoodBank.
