For 20 years the U. S. Postal Service (USPS) has been helping to collect canned food for community food banks all across America, to help people in need of food. The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona is again teaming up with the USPS to collect food from your door steps or mail boxes.

For the 20th consecutive year the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona will team up to collect donations on Saturday, May 12, 2012 for the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.

“This is the 20th Anniversary of the Letter Carriers Food Drive,” said Bill Carnegie, Food Bank CEO. “The problem of hunger in our community has never been greater and we need our community to help make this year’s food drive a success. Thousands of local families are counting on your support,” he added.

To help “Stamp Out Hunger” in Southern Arizona, residents are asked leave a bag of non-perishable food, such as canned meats, canned vegetables, canned soups, cereal, peanut butter, canned fruit or canned tomato products next to their mail box before the time of their mail delivery on Saturday, May 12th. Food should be in non-breakable containers. Letter carriers and volunteers will collect the food donations and forward them to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Monetary donations will be accepted for the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive and on-line donations may be made as well.

Please leave out non-perishable cans (preferably not glass jars like jam/jelly or pickles) for pick up by the postal carriers. I already have my bag of donated cans of food to leave outside our front door early on Saturday May 12.

I was a volunteer for 5 years at our local Food Bank helping distribute food boxes and other donated vegetables/fruits/breads, etc. I also helped collect & sort these cans on Stamp Out Hunger day, which is quite a massive job when carts of food come in to the postal distribution centers. Information on the CFB is at http://communityfoodbank.com/, 3003 S. Country Club,Tucson, AZ 85713; phone:(520)622-0525, Fax:(520)624-6349.