A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

NKY Postal carriers food drive is Saturday; residents asked to leave nonperishable food by the mailbox


One of the biggest food drives of the year to benefit low-income families in Northern Kentucky is set for Saturday, May 14 and donors won’t have to go any further than their mailboxes to participate.

Residents and businesses are asked to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods (canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal) next to your mailbox this Saturday, May 14. Postal carriers will pick it up and get it to one of 11 nonprofits that provide food assistance to people who desperately need it.

Postal carrier delivers food to the Be Concerned food pantry during the 2015 drive (provided photo).

Postal carrier delivers food to the Be Concerned pantry during the 2015 drive (provided photos).

The effort by National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 374 is part of the national Stamp Out Hunger drive, the largest such event in the U.S. Branch 374 carriers have participated since the drive started nationally 22 years ago, and last year they collected nearly 35,000 lbs. of food.

The timing of the drive couldn’t be more opportune, said Andy Brunsman, director of Be Concerned, a free food pantry in Covington that hosted more than 2,100 shopper visits in the first quarter of 2015.

Food supplies from holiday donations have been depleted and the drive gives agencies an opportunity to restock their shelves.

“Summer time is a slow time for donations because schools are out,” he said. “This drive helps to fill the void caused by the summer break.”

Local letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to Freestore Foodbank, who will distribute the items locally.

“Letter carriers touch every residential and business address in this country at least six days a week,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said, “and our continued effort in the fight against hunger—often in our own neighborhoods—has made us all too familiar with the staggering numbers of people in need.”

The availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire such food, is limited or uncertain for one in six Americans, many of whom are in households with at least one person working.

Postal Carriers food drive“So our goal is to help restock community food banks, pantries and shelters for needy families throughout the summer,” Rolando said, “and to build upon the millions of pounds of non-perishable food collected since 1992 from millions of generous postal customers.”

Last year’s drive collected approximately 71 million pounds of non-perishable food that was left in bags next to postal customers’ mailboxes. It was the 12th consecutive year that letter carriers have collected more than 70 million pounds of food, and it brought the drive’s grand total to more than 1.4 billion pounds of food collected.

The drive makes for a long day for mail carriers, who in addition to their typical load of magazines, letters and bills must also tote food their route customers donate. Carriers say it’s worth it, said Gary Smith, who is heading up the effort for Letter Carriers Drive 374.

Branch 374 has collaborated with the Safety Net Alliance of Northern Kentucky on the drive the past four years. The Safety Net is a consortium of more 100 organizations – nonprofits, churches, schools, government entities – that works to eliminate duplication and maximize efficiencies in services to low-income residents.

In addition to Be Concerned, agencies that will receive food from the drive are Action Ministries in Latonia; Fairhaven Mission in Covington, Brighton Center, St. Paul Episcopal Church Pantry and Hosea House Echo Soup Kitchen in Newport; Care Mission in Alexandria; Pantry of Hope in Highland Heights, United Ministries in Erlanger, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Bernard Pantry in Bellevue.

Be Concerned, United Way of Greater Cincinnati


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