COCOA, Florida — Today residents across America, including Florida’s Space Coast, will be asked to join the U.S. Postal Service and its letter carriers to combat one of this nation’s growing problems — hunger, by leaving food at their mailboxes.
Every second Saturday in May letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. They also collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive – the largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the world.
In 2011, letter carriers collected 70.2 million pounds of food donated by customers on their delivery routes, which marked the eigth consecutive year the total food collection was at least 70 million pounds.
Brevard County residents are encouraged to leave non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 12, 2012.
Letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to their local food bank or pantry.
About 50 million Americans, including 17 million children, now live in families that lack sufficient food. This number has grown from 2011 where 35.5 million people faced hunger every day in America, including 13 million children. For more information, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com
PHOTO: Cocoa, Florida U.S. Post Office / Brevard Times File
