Community Action Partnership to hold annual food drive

The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Saturday.

On one of America’s great days of giving, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations for customers of the Community Action Partnership, with donations going directly to food pantries to provide to people in North Idaho.

Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.

Last year, the group collected more than 80 million pounds of food nationally, feeding an estimated 64 million people. Over the course of its 24-year history, the drive has collected 1.5 billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Currently, 49 million Americans — 1 in 6 — are unsure where their next meal is coming from. It is projected that 13 million children feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. More than five million seniors older than 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes, often too embarrassed to ask for help.

To donate, just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday and your letter carrier will do the rest.