MEDFORD, Ore.– It’s the second Saturday of May and as part of a national food drive, thousands of residents in southern Oregon participated in the 26th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
Organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, US Postal Service workers picked up food donations left by mailboxes all throughout the day as they continued to run their regular shifts.
ACCESS collected all the donations from 1 p.m to 7 p.m. with the help of volunteers and members of the Camp White Young Marines.
Last year, 71 million pounds of non-perishable food was donated across the country to help local food banks, pantries and shelters.
According to ACCESS, the need is great since about 49 million or 1 in 6 Americans are unsure of where their next meal will come from.
“We’re not seeing the hunger problem go away. Food stamps for many don’t last more than 2 ½ – 3 weeks,” said ACCESS Nutrition Director, Philip Yates.
Letter carriers such as Ron Fair, the president of Branch 1433 of the Letter Carriers Union, says it’s a rewarding experience.
“I just enjoy picking it up and dropping it off and reaching out to all the families that need the food and being a part of this one day a year,” he said.
Last year, Jackson County residents donated some 47,000 pounds for Stamp Out Hunger.
Organizers hope to match or exceed that number this year.
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