ANN ARBOR – Food Gatherers is inviting all Washtenaw County residents to donate to Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday.
The event is the nation’s largest one-day food drive, according to the county’s premier food bank and food rescue organization.
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Donations made locally will benefit Food Gatherers, according to a release.
The National Association of Letter Carriers coordinates the Stamp Out Hunger campaign each year. During the event, postal customers can leave non-perishable food items next to their mailboxes prior to delivery on Saturday and letter carriers will collect donations along their regular routes.
The letter carriers then bring the donations to local hunger-relief organizations.
Last year, the campaign raised more than 118,000 pounds of food in Washtenaw County alone.
“Stamp Out Hunger is one of the easiest ways community members can contribute toward our mission, and this support comes at a critical moment,” President and CEO of Food Gatherers Eileen Spring said in a statement. “With the end of federal pandemic-era benefits like the SNAP emergency allotments, many families are turning to food banks to fill the gap and provide healthy food for their families. Food Gatherers relies on food and fund drives like Stamp Out Hunger to meet the rising demand.”
Many homes in Washtenaw County will soon receive orange bags from their letter carriers to remind them to donate in the upcoming food drive. Those who would like to donate can either fill the sponsored bags, or any other bag, with canned food items, pasta, rice, cereal and peanut butter and leave it next to their mailbox.
Food Gatherers staff and volunteers will be working on-site at post offices to accept and deliver the donations to the organization’s warehouse on Carrot Way.
Those who wish to not participate are encouraged to recycle their bags.
Have questions about the food drive? Ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit the event’s website.