WHAT:

The U.S. Postal Service, in collaboration with West Side Campaign Against Hunger, will host a kickoff event for National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) 25th Annual Food Drive. Letter carriers will kick off the annual Food Drive as they encourage those attending the event to bring cans or boxes of non-perishable food to help replenish pantry shelves at West Side Campaign Against Hunger.

WHO:

Chef Greg Silverman, Westside Campaign Against Hunger
Ruth Kraus, Assistant Manager, City Harvest
Charlie Heege, Branch 36 President, National Association of Letter Carriers
Gail Branham, Customer Relations Coordinator, USPS
Kevin Crocilla, Executive Postmaster of Manhattan, USPS

WHEN:

Thursday, May 4, 2017, 10:00am – 12:00pm

WHERE:

Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew
263 West 86th Street (Basement Level)
New York, NY 10024

BACKGROUND:

The New York City Postal Service supports the effort of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), to encourage everyone to participate in the food drive, which helps to feed children, women, men and families who would otherwise go hungry. 

The national food drive began in 1993 as letter carriers in every part of the country worked with family members, friends, other postal co-workers and allies to use the second Saturday in May as a day to give something back to their respective communities. Last year, the national food drive collected a record 80 million pounds of nonperishable food and they have collected more than 1.5 billion pounds over the last 25 years.

Residents, businesses and visitors can stop in any NYC Post Office to drop off canned or boxed non-perishable food items such as canned fruits, canned soups, canned vegetables, pasta, rice and cereal. Food donation bins will be setup in NYC Post Office lobbies from May 6 – May 13. Collected will be turned over to City Harvest, who distributes the food to hundreds of soup kitchens, food pantries, and other community food programs across New York City’s five boroughs. 

The drive is uniquely extended in NYC – starting Saturday, May 6 through the national culmination day, May 13 – so that customers can drop off non-perishable food in Post Office lobbies. In the rest of the country, customers leave the food by their mailbox. In NYC, that is not an option because carriers deliver mail on foot while pushing a mail cart instead of by postal truck. The food drive concludes on the largest single day nationwide food drive, May 13th.

“The need for food donations is great and the timing of the food drive is crucial.  Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the holiday season. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, and as we enter the summer season supplies are at their lowest”, says Kevin Crocilla, Executive Postmaster of Manhattan. “The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is an excellent example of postal proud employees showing care for the communities where they work and live. The drive also speaks volumes about the generosity of our fellow Americans.”

More information can be found at: https://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive and specific questions should be directed to NALC Director of Community Services Pam Donato at 202.662.2489 or at donato@nalc.org.

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

West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Through a supermarket-style food pantry, West Side Campaign Against Hunger alleviates hunger and creates a culture that promotes self-reliance and works for change. West Side Campaign Against Hunger works to change the perception of hungry people by working in partnership with them, providing food with dignity, and empowering customers to find solutions. Visit their website to learn more about their mission to stop hunger at: http://www.wscah.org

City Harvest
Nearly 1.4 million New Yorkers face hunger every year, including close to one in four New York City children. City Harvest takes a long-term approach to hunger relief through its Healthy Neighborhoods initiative. In communities with elevated rates of food insecurity, poverty and diet-related illnesses, City Harvest has developed programs and partnerships to increase the availability of affordable, fresh produce and inspire healthy, budget-conscious meal choices through nutrition education. To learn more about food rescue, hunger relief and Healthy Neighborhoods in New York City, visit www.cityharvest.org.