Stamp Out Hunger raises 382K pounds of food on Long Island

Long Islanders generously donated more than 382,000 pounds of food to Island Harvest Food Bank this month as part of the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, held with the National Association of Letter Carriers union of postal workers. 

Held annually on the second Saturday in May, Stamp Out Hunger is the largest one-day food drive, with mail carriers for the U.S. Postal Service collecting bags of food from customers’ mailboxes as part of their route. 

The donations to Island Harvest will provide roughly 318,500 meals for food-insecure Long Islanders, according to the food bank’s estimates, helping replenish its network of food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs in Nassau and Suffolk communities.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Long Islanders who donated to this year’s Stamp Out Hunger campaign, whether it was just a can of soup or a bag full of groceries; that simple act of kindness will go a long way in improving the life of a person struggling with the uncertainty of not knowing where their next meal may be,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, in a statement. “Island Harvest also acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the leadership of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 6000, and the postal workers across Long Island, along with the support of our sponsors for their generosity and tireless efforts in our efforts to help our neighbors in need.”

In addition to partners like JPMorgan Chase, Amazon, Stop & Shop, Allstate and Dime Community Bank, this year’s campaign on Long Island was supported by various local sponsors including National Grid, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Empire Automotive Group, Nonna’s Garden, College Hunks Moving and Steel Equities.

Since its inception in 1993, the food drive has collected more than 1.75 billion pounds of food to help address hunger across the country.