CHICAGO — The Postal Service is asking for the Chicago community’s support on May 14 as it joins America’s letter carriers to conduct the nation’s largest single-day food drive.

The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, hosted each year by the National Association of Letter Carriers in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, supports local food banks and the 48 million Americans who struggle with hunger. 

Customers can join their letter carriers and help Stamp Out Hunger by simply collecting non-perishable food items and leaving them in a sturdy bag near their mailboxes on May 14.  A letter carrier will collect the donations and deliver them to local food banks and pantries. Items will then be distributed to those facing hunger throughout Chicago and Cook County.

Chicago residents can also bring donations to their local Post Office the week of May 9-14.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proclaimed May 14 as Stamp Out Hunger Day in Chicago, urging Chicagoans to “acknowledge the enduring impact of Stamp Out Hunger in Chicago upon our residents and in our community.”

“Stamp Out Hunger is like no other food drive. It allows every community across the country to collectively come together on one day to do their part to fight hunger. We are so grateful to community members who donate non-perishable items and for the letter carriers who take the time to collect each bag to help fight hunger in our region,” said acting Chicago Postmaster Tangela Bush.

"Hunger affects every community in the country,” said Fredric Rolando, NALC president. “At least six days a week, our letter carriers are a local touch point in communities everywhere and we are thrilled to be able to support our neighbors in need though the Stamp Out Hunger food drive.”

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive was created in 1993 by the National Association of Letter Carriers to encourage communities to come together in an effort to stock the shelves of food banks and pantries nationwide. The event is held on the second Saturday of May each year.

NALC Branch 11 letter carriers have delivered more than 1.7 million of pounds of donated food in the last five years alone to help those in need throughout Chicago and 13 suburban Cook County municipalities.                               
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is held in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. Last year, letter carriers collected over 70 million pounds of food donations to be donated to their local food bank and pantries.

The AFL-CIO, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, United Way, Valassis, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and Valpak are all supporting this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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