‘Stamp Out Hunger’ in Cheshire This Saturday

The Cheshire Community Food Pantry and the National Association of Letter Carriers are teaming up this year for the 21st Anniversary of “Stamp Out Hunger” to help provide for those in town who need assistance.

On Saturday, May 11, letter carriers across the community will collect non-perishable food donations during their daily mail delivery and this year, proceeds will go helping restock the shelves of the Cheshire Community Food Pantry, said the pantry’s Executive Director Patty Hartmann.

“This food drive’s timing is pivotal,” Hartmann said. “Our pantry often receives the majority of our donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, our shelves are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available.”

Participation in the food drive in easy; simply bag up any non-perishable foods available for delivery and place them near your mailbox on May 11. That’s all it takes to help make a difference.

And it will make a big difference, both locally and nationwide, according to the Stamp Out Hunger website.

“Currently, 50 million Americans — 1 in 6 — are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Children in these households feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. And nearly 3 million seniors over age 65 must deal with hunger as well, with many who live on fixed incomes are often too embarrassed to ask for help,” the website states.

The collection last year, on the Stamp Out Hunger 20th Anniversary, saw more than 70 million pounds of food collected and helped feed an estimated 30 million people.

Over the course of its 20-year history, the drive has collected more than a billion pounds of food, thanks to the universal delivery network of the USPS that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.

For more information on Stamp Out Hunger, see the official website by clicking the link provided.

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