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The second Saturday in May is home to the largest one-day food drive in South Texas. It’s called Stamp Out Hunger, and the San Antonio Food Bank partnered with the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Organizers set a goal of collecting 500,000 pounds of food across the San Antonio area during this year’s drive. The food bank has said demand for assistance remains high as many families continue to feel stretched by the rising cost of everyday life.
The partnership with the U.S. Postal Service and the NALC is intended to make it easier for people to donate. Letter carriers picked up nonperishable food donations left near mailboxes, many of them in blue CPS Energy bags. The drive relies on letter carriers, postal workers and volunteers across South Texas to collect and sort donations in a single day.
Lisa Darley is a city letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.
“Actually, the food drive is my favorite day of the year. It's just taking something that we do every day. We're out here on our routes, but it just makes it extra special that we're able to collect the food for people in our own community,” Darley told TPR.
Darley was collecting food left out by mailboxes along her route in Kirby. She said letter carriers definitely see people who are in need and are glad to help. But she said it’s rare for someone to reach out and actually ask for help.
“They usually just ask where their check is,” she laughed.
Darley said days like Stamp Out Hunger give carriers a chance to connect with people in a different way.
The local drive is part of a nationwide effort held each year on the second Saturday in May. Letter carriers across the country collect nonperishable food donations that go directly to local food pantries. Over more than 30 years, the drive has collected more than 1.94 billion pounds of food nationwide.
Organizers encouraged donations of shelf-stable items such as canned vegetables, peanut butter, pasta and rice.
People who would still like to donate can visit San Antonio Food Bank.
