Stamp Out Hunger food drive to help struggling Long Islanders
Island Harvest Food Bank, the National Association of Letter Carriers, and the United States Postal Service are again joining forces in hosting the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
The nation’s largest single-day food collection campaign will take place on Saturday, May 11. Long Island residents are encouraged to leave food donations by their mailbox for their letter carrier to collect before their regular mail delivery. All food collected in Nassau and Suffolk counties will help Island Harvest provide much-needed food support to more than 300,000 Long Islanders who face hunger and food insecurity, including more than 90,000 children.
“Contributing to Stamp Out Hunger is simple,” Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, said in a written statement. “Just leave nonperishable food items in a bag next to your mailbox before the regularly scheduled mail delivery on Saturday, May 11. Your USPS letter carrier will do the rest to make sure it gets onto the tables of our Long Islander neighbors in need.”
Nonperishable food items needed include canned goods, cereal, pasta, rice, boxed juices, and shelf-stable milk (please, no food or juices in glass containers). In addition, personal care items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, and disposable diapers are gratefully accepted. All donations collected will help replenish Island Harvest’s network of food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs in communities throughout Long Island.
“Even if it’s a can of soup or a box of cereal, every donation, no matter the size, will help countless Long Islanders who may be struggling to put food on their tables,” Shubin Dresner said, adding that the food bank distributed 15 million pounds of food in 2022, a 42% increase over pre-pandemic 2019. “We are counting on the generosity of our neighbors who can spare a little extra to help make this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive one of the most successful.”
Since it began in 1993, Stamp Out Hunger has collected more than 1.75 billion pounds of food in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to help address the issue of hunger in America.
“The National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 6000 and the United States Postal Service are excited to once again partner with Island Harvest for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food collection,” Tom Siesto, executive vice president of NALC Branch 6000, said in the statement. “The members of Branch 6000 and the employees of the United States Postal Service often see firsthand the widespread issue of food insecurity on Long Island and are thrilled to take part in this very important campaign and give back to the local communities that they serve.”
John Tortorice, USPS district manager, said letter carriers stand ready to Stamp Out Hunger on Long Island.
“We are thrilled to be working with Island Harvest Food Bank and the National Association of Letter Carriers to join the mission and ensure every resident has access to a meal,” he said.
This year’s Stamp Out Hunger collection campaign on Long Island is generously supported by presenting sponsor National Grid, lead sponsor JPMorgan Chase & Co., and major sponsors Allstate, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Dime Community Bank, Empire Automotive Group, Nonna’s Garden, Rheem ProPartner, and Stop & Shop, and supporting partners College Hunks Moving, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Amazon, and Steel Equities.
All donations to Stamp Out Hunger are tax-deductible because all the food collected benefits Island Harvest, a registered nonprofit organization. To learn more about Island Harvest, visit islandharvest.org.
