Saturday's Annual U.S. Postal Service Food Drive Will Benefit Marblehead Food Pantry

The Marblehead Food Pantry will benefit from Saturday’s U.S. Postal Service Food Drive.

Every second Saturday in May, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America 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.

Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with help from rural letter carriers, other postal employees and other volunteers, the drive has delivered more than one billion pounds of food the past 22 years.

In the case of Marblehead, the food gathered will be donated to the Marblehead Food Pantry, which provides essential food supplies to families and individuals in Marblehead.

Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved.

The United States Postal Service, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, AFL-CIO, Feeding America, United Way, Valassis and Valpak Direct Marketing Systems are all supporting this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

To donate, just place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail Saturday. The carrier will do the rest.

The food will be delivered to Marblehead Food Pantry volunteers working at the back of the Masonic Lodge. Individuals are welcome to drop off donations there from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday if they miss their mail carrier’s pickup.

With 49 million people facing hunger every day in America, including nearly 16 million children, this drive is one way you can help those in your own city or town who need help.