Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive  Returns May 9

Participation is simple: residents are encouraged to place a bag of non-perishable food donations next to their mailbox before mail delivery on May 9. Local letter carriers will collect the donations during their regular routes and deliver them to NeighborImpact’s Food Bank, where the food will be distributed to individuals and families through the region’s emergency food network.

The annual drive, held on the second Saturday in May, is the largest one-day food drive in the country. Since becoming a national effort in 1993, Stamp Out Hunger has collected more than 1.94 billion pounds of food for communities across the United States.

In Central Oregon, this year’s drive comes at a critical moment. NeighborImpact’s Food Bank continues to serve high levels of food need while federal commodity food supplies have declined. More than 80,000 people access food assistance monthly through NeighborImpact’s network and more than 6.3 million pounds of food were provided last year through direct distributions and distribution sites operated by 57 partner agencies.

“Stamp Out Hunger gives every household a simple way to help meet a very real need,” said Rachel Haakenson, said Rachel Haakenson, spokesperson for NeighborImpact. “A bag of food left by a mailbox may feel like a small act, but when thousands of neighbors participate, it becomes a major source of support for families across Central Oregon.”

Most-needed items include shelf-stable, non-perishable foods such as peanut butter, canned tuna, canned fruit, cereal, oats, rice, pasta, canned vegetables and soup. Donors are asked to avoid expired food and glass containers.

Letter carriers in Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond will collect donations during their regular routes. Residents should watch their mail for a postcard reminder with local participation details and donation guidance.

“Letter carriers make this event possible,” Haakenson said. “They are already serving every neighborhood in the region and on May 9, they will do even more—collecting food that stays local and helps keep pantry shelves stocked.”

Those who are unable to donate food but still wish to help can make a monetary donation at neighborimpact.org/donate. Financial contributions allow NeighborImpact to purchase and distribute food where it is needed most.