On Saturday, Clark County residents can not only send out their mail but also do their part in fighting hunger.
Clark County’s chapter of the National Association of Letter Carriers will host its 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
To participate in the drive, residents can leave a bag of nonperishable food on or near their mailboxes — it must be visible from the street — by 8 a.m. Saturday. The food donations are gathered by letter carriers along their usual routes and distributed to local food pantries.
Don Young, Clark County food drive coordinator, said that by springtime, many local pantries are depleted as most food is donated around Thanksgiving and Christmas. But food is especially needed this time of year.
“At this time, kids are getting out of school and they don’t have the breakfast or lunch program to rely on,” Young said.
Close to 35 million people across the United States are experiencing food instability. In Clark County, roughly 110,000 people were projected to be food insecure in 2021. Young’s goal each year is to collect 100,000 pounds of food.
“There is a huge need right now,” said Young. “I was at FISH (food pantry) earlier today and the place was just packed.”
The food collected during the drive goes to local food banks across Clark County.
Out of town for Mother’s Day? Community members can leave out food until the next Saturday or drop off a donation at their nearest post office. Cash donations can be made to https://www.clarkcountyfoodbank.org/stampouthunger.
Throughout its 31-year history, the food drive has collected nearly 2 billion pounds of food across the nation.
“It is an important food drive and we’re hoping that people in the community will come together to support it,” Young said.
