Stamp Out Hunger is held each year on the second Saturday in May. Above is a poster for the event.

‘Stamp Out Hunger’ drive set for Saturday

By simply leaving non-perishable food items at mailboxes on Saturday, Chautauqua County residents can help fill local food pantries.

Coordinated each year by United Way and the National Association of Letter Carriers, Stamp Out Hunger is the largest single-day food drive in the country.

Held each year on the second Saturday in May, this collection drive provides much needed food to pantries throughout the United States. Best of all, donations remain local – meaning food given in Chautauqua County will end up with local families.

Participation is as simple as leaving non-perishable food for your postal carrier.

In just one local example, last year, the Mayville Post collected 28 tubs and many more bags of non-perishable food, totaling 750 pounds, which was then donated to the Mayville Food Pantry.

The annual collection drive is now in its 32nd year and United Way has been partnering with NALC to promote and support the event ever since 1994.

Collection drives such as this are greatly needed locally, as is evidenced by the numbers. In Chautauqua County, 48% of households struggle to get by. Of that number, 18% of households are living in poverty and 30% are ALICE households.

ALICE is a United Way acronym which stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.”

It’s the increasing population of individuals and families who work, but are unable to meet their basic needs – and it’s one in every two households in Chautauqua County.

Events such as Stamp Out Hunger make tangible differences in the lives of individuals and families in need. All of the charitable donations are collected by letter carriers from residences along their routes. The simplicity and efficiency of the drive are what makes it work.

For more information, visit www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive.