31st annual Stamp out Hunger Food Drive returns May 13

STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - Later on this month, letter carriers around the United States will be picking up more than just mail.

The 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the largest one-day collection effort in the country and is hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers. The event benefits organizations like the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

In 2022, 114,196 pounds of food were donated through the drive over BRAFB’s service area, which is enough to provide over 95,000 meals to those experiencing hunger.

On May 13th, community members are encouraged to leave non-perishable food items at their mailbox for letter carriers to collect. Coordinators say this helps stock the shelves at BRAFB at a time of year when donations are down.

“Typically most donations of this type and food drives of this type happen in the fall or winter around the holidays, so during this period of time the food banks are definitely short on the canned goods that they need,” Staunton Stamp Out Hunger co-coordinator Cindy Connors said.

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is still looking for volunteers to help collect and sort food at the Harrisonburg and Staunton post offices. Volunteer shifts will run between 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and interested volunteers can sign up by clicking here.

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