Postal workers throughout the Valley will lend a hand in the effort to "Stamp Out Hunger" on Saturday.
In Northridge, Chatsworth and Porter Ranch, and all across the country, they'll collect bags and boxes of non-perishable food items left by residents along their postal routes.
The National Association of Letter Carriers and the Postal Service will help to stock local food banks at a time of year when donations tend to fall and needs rise. Hundreds of volunteers will be sorting thousands of pounds of donations at San Fernando Valley post offices on Saturday, and at the Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND) Center in Pacoima.
“Recent cuts to social programs threaten to increase the need for private agencies like ours that help feed the hungry. That is why events like this are critical” said MEND President and CEO Marianne Haver Hill. She added, “The donated food helps fill community food banks and pantries throughout the summer months when donations are at their lowest and the need for food soars.”
Now in its 21st year, the "Stamp Out Hunger" effort is the nation’s biggest single-day food drive, benefiting food banks around the country. In the San Fernando Valley, MEND has worked closely with letter carriers union to coordinate food collection at post offices and sort and redistribute the donations for the last 21 years.
To learn more about "Stamp Out Hunger," visit HelpStampOutHunger.com/