The once-a-year day for your letter carrier, with your help, to Stamp Out Hunger has come again.

Leave non-perishable food gifts by your mailbox Saturday. These food gifts will be distributed to local agencies who provide meals to those in need.

Your local letter carrier will pick up your gifts when delivering your mail on that day. Your carriers are enthusiastic about and dedicated to this project; thank them for their daily service to you by helping to fill the familiar “little mail truck” with non-perishable food items.

This 20th nationwide drive of the National Association of Letter Carriers has approximately 1,500 local branches participating.

This is one of many community service projects for which they have received many prestigious awards. Our local carriers deserve the accolades they receive.

Last year, they collected and distributed approximately 4.5 tons of non-perishable items in the Natchez area. They hope to exceed that amount this year.

Stamping out hunger is the goal.

All of your gifts will be used here in the Natchez area. Using your gifts, local agencies will prepare meals from and/or distribute directly to those who otherwise would be without daily meals. Organizations benefiting include, but are not limited to, the Stewpot, Guardian Shelter, First Pentecostal Church Food Bank, 61 South Church of God Food Bank and others.

For an example of how beneficial this project is to feeding the hungry, let me tell you what Stamp Out Hunger means to the Stewpot.

Stewpot prepares, serves and delivers at least 250 free meals every day, seven days a week.

Each day uses a lot of food. Many cans are opened and emptied, sacks of rice, cornmeal, flour, sugar, pasta, and more are opened. This can only happen because of your generosity.

This Stamp Out Hunger day helps the Stewpot be in a position to continue with its mission during this summer.

Like the Stewpot, the other receiving agencies put your donated food to good use by getting it to those who need it.

Food you place by your mailbox on Saturday will go from there, via your letter carrier, to the hungry. Every item you give adds to the total collected.

This makes your mail carrier proud, helps charity organizations fulfill their missions, feeds the needy and makes you feel good.

Take advantage of this opportunity to help so many.

 

Louis Gunning is the director of the Stewpot.