5,000 Arizona mail carriers to battle summer hunger in nation’s biggest one-day food drive

PHOENIX — Letter carriers across Arizona will fan out Saturday for the 34th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the nation’s largest single-day food collection.

More than 5,000 Arizona mail carriers will collect canned food donations along their regular routes on May 9. The drive typically brings in about 1 million pounds of food for Arizona families.

Donations end up at St. Mary’s Food Bank, United Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul, Desert Mission, Valley View and other food banks across the Valley.

The timing is critical, organizers said, as demand spikes through the summer when children are out of school and seasonal donations drop off.

“We are seeing more (need), incredibly, with high gas prices and loss of SNAP benefits pushing more people to our doors,” said organizers in a news release.

One in five Arizonans, and one in four children, face hunger, according to St. Mary’s Food Bank, which distributes more than 100,000 food boxes each month to over 700 agency partners.

Mail carriers are dropping off reminder postcards and grocery bags to homes along their routes this week as a reminder of the weekend food drive.

The best items to donate are nonperishables, such as canned fruit and vegetables, soups, canned meals, pasta, peanut butter, tuna, rice and cereal.

Related

Phoenix-based St. Mary’s Food Bank puts out call for volunteers to pack boxesSt. Mary's Food Bank accepting citrus donations through AprilWarren Petersen leading in GOP primary for Arizona attorney generalAlex Kolodin tops former state party chair in secretary of state primary raceJay Feely projected winner in CD-1; Dem race still too close to callMark Lamb wins AZ-5 Republican primary, will face newcomer Elizabeth Lee