Events



NALC Food Drive

The "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive will be held Saturday May 8, 2010. In 2009, Americans donated a record 73.4 million pounds of non-perishable food to restock community food banks and pantries. Locally, residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties contributed 224,800 in 2009.

You can help by collecting canned foods and other non-perishable food items and then placing them by your mailbox on the morning of May 8.

“A few cans of food at each mailbox adds up to a phenomenal amount of food,” said letter carrier Glenn Corbett, chair of the local collection efforts. “Some people choose to leave more, but we appreciate every donation. You don’t have to donate a lot, because if everyone donates up one or two items, we’ll fill the food banks up to the ceiling.”

And the food relief organizations need the food now more than ever. Locally, organizations including Bay Area Food Bank, Manna Food Pantries, We Care Ministry (Navarre United Methodist Church), ACTS Ministry (Holley Assembly of God, Gulf Breeze), St. Vincent de Paul (Pensacola), and Warrington Emergency Aid work together to serve families in our community who are in need of food assistance. 

These organizations serve both children and adults. It has been documented that children and adults who go hungry or receive inadequate nutrition suffer additional consequences on top of the pain of an empty belly. Mental and physical challenges associated with hunger are linked to harmful effects on learning, development, productivity, health, and family life, just to name a few.

The Bay Area Food Bank reports that recent economic conditions have caused a 30 percent increase in demand for food from local hunger relief agencies.

First Call For Help call center statistics indicate that many residents are seeking food assistance for the first time. These are often hard-working adults with children or senior citizens who simply cannot make ends meet.

Donating food is a small thing, but your caring will mean the world to a family in crisis. Set out a box or bag now and start to fill it over the next three weeks. Be sure to tell your friends and neighbors to do the same. Set it out by your mailbox on Saturday, May 8 so your letter carrier can collect the items and deliver them to where they will help families in need.  

Learn more about the “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive at http://www.nalc.org/commun/foodrive/.