| What: | Youngstown area kick-off for annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive | |
| Who: | Youngstown area letter carriers, U.S. Postal Service, Gleaners Food Bank Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, and Second Harvest | |
| When: | Friday, May 9 at 11 a.m. | |
| Where: | Gleaners Food Bank, 94 Pyatt St., Youngstown, Ohio 44502 |
Background:
Saturday, May 10 marks the 22nd anniversary of America’s largest-single day of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, Campbell Soup, Feeding America and other partners.
Currently, 49 million Americans—1 in 6—are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Sixteen million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. And nearly five million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.
In 2013, 74 million pounds of food was collected by Postal carriers nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people. Over the course of the 21-year history, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has collected well over one billion pounds of food. The Youngstown Post Office and its stations and branches collected 40,000 pounds of food last year. That number combined with food collected by surrounding area Post Offices (Campbell, Canfield, Columbiana, Cortland, East Liverpool, East Palestine, Girard, Hubbard, Leetonia, Lisbon, Lowellville, McDonald, Masury, Newton Falls, Niles, Salem, Struthers, Warren, and Wellsville) added up to160,000 pounds of food collected.
The food drive’s timing is crucial. 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. The Youngstown Area Food Drive supports Gleaners Food Bank, St. Vincent DePaul, Salvation Army, and Second Harvest Food Bank.
How the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Works
Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by the mailbox on Saturday, May 10, and the Postal carrier will do the rest. It’s that simple and millions of Americans will be helped.
Please help get the word out to your viewers!
A 30-second Stamp Out Hunger Public Service Announcement (PSA) HD video is available for TV and Cable stations to download at http://www.uspsvideo.com/ for broadcast use on your network.
If not already registered with USPS Newsroom, news outlets can sign up on the site. Authorization can take up to 24 hours.
Thank you for your support of the communities we both serve.# # #
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