Tomorrow is the 27th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers. For those unfamiliar with the food drive, it’s simple. Every year on the second Saturday in May, people are asked to leave nonperishable food donations in a bag next to their mailbox.That day letter carriers will pick up the food donations on their mail routes. They then deliver the donations to the San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank chapter. The impact of the one day food drive cannot be understated. Food banks benefit from the boost in donations after they decline following the holiday season.The history of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive dates back nearly 3 decades, but the ideals are steeped in the community service ethos of letter carriers. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive originally launched in just 10 cities in the fall of 1991. The support was better than expected and motions were underway for a nationwide food drive. After discussion with food banks and other nonprofits, the NALC moved the food drive to the second Saturday of May. The results of this inaugural, nationwide food drive were staggering – over 11 million pounds of food were donated in one day. A record in the United States. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has been growing ever since, with the food drive reaching the 1 billion pound mark in 2010.The San Diego Food Bank’s relationship with the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has also been fruitful. During the last 5 years, the food drive has raised over 900,000 pounds in nonperishable food donations. Let’s make this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive the most successful yet! On May 11, 2019, simply place your food donations in a bag at your mailbox by 9:00 a.m. Your neighborhood letter carrier has it from there. For a complete list of our most needed items, click here. Special thanks to the NALC, our local letter carriers, and donors all around the country that make the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive possible.