Thanks to the people of Juneau and Douglas for their overwhelming generosity for another successful Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive that was held on May 13.
With the help of the United States Postal Service, the National Association of Letter Carriers, The Rural Carrier Association, and the mail clerks that collected the food donations to give to our local food banks, we collected over 5,000 pounds of food during the one-day nationwide food drive. Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the nation’s largest one-day food drive that occurs every year on the second Saturday of May.
On that day, residents are encouraged to put non-perishable food items in their mailboxes before their mail-carrier comes to deliver on that day. The mail carriers collect the food donations and delivered it to the local food banks. The National Association of letter carriers would like to thank Foodland IGA, Rainbow Foods, Fred Meyer, Super Bear IGA, and Safeway for allowing us to place postal hampers in their stores so shoppers can donate food while shopping. The postal hampers were placed in the stores during the week leading up to the day of the food drive.
The National Association of letter carriers would also like to thank Mayor Ken Koelsch for declaring Saturday, May 13, 2017, as Letter Carrier Food Drive Day and to thank McDonald’s for helping us advertise our special Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive by allowing us to put our sign on the fence at their drive-thru.
As coordinator of the food drive, I’d like to recognize McKayla Hoover from Fred Meyer grocery store who promoted a special sale of 10 percent off Kroger brand items if donated to the food drive. I also want to say a yummy delicious thank you to Joshua Cooper of Papa John’s pizza for donating delicious pizzas to feed all the carriers and employees that helped with the collecting of the food for Southeast Alaska food bank and Helping Hands Food Bank.
And of course last but not least, thank you to the Juneau Empire, Jeff Brown from KTOO, Sharon Gaiptman from KINY, and Taku 105.5 radio stations for helping us get the word out. We are looking forward to another great successful food drive next year on the second Saturday of May 2018.
Mark Piotrowski,
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive coordinator
Greg Seider, rural carrier
