ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (May 10, 2023) — United Way Quad Cities is pleased to partner with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) for the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the nation’s largest one-day food drive. In partnership with River Bend Food Bank and local labor partners, this event on Saturday, May 13, aims to rally the community together in gathering non-perishable food donations to benefit Quad Cities families and children.
“We are thrilled to partner with our friends in organized labor, letter-carriers, and the wider community for another year of Stamp Out Hunger. While one in seven children in our area struggle with food insecurity, Stamp Out Hunger is a great example of our community uniting together to meet the needs of our communities and help ensure local food pantries and shelters are stocked for the summer,” said Amy Fanning, AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison at United Way Quad Cities.
To participate, residents are encouraged to leave non-perishable food items next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 13, leaving their mail carrier to do the rest. Donations go directly back to the community, benefiting local food pantries and shelters.
Since its start 31 years ago, Stamp Out Hunger has collected over 1.67 billion pounds of food, uniting communities all over the country in support of their neighbors.
“United Way is proud to provide support to local families, removing a barrier that can hold Quad Citizens back from reaching their full potential,” Fanning said.
“The continuing high cost of basic needs like food, gas and housing are forcing nearly 100,000 people in our region to make impossible choices every day between buying groceries for their families and paying for other necessities like electricity and medicines,” said Jenny Colvin, Chief Development Officer at River Bend Food Bank. “The Stamp Out Hunger campaign is a great way to help our neighbors in need AND reduce food waste by donating shelf-stable foods from home.”
According to Tracey Bultinck, City Letter Carrier and Food Drive Coordinator, “The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has stood the test of time, with 31 years of partnership between the NALC, River Bend Food Bank and United Way. And I’ve seen it bring out the best in our community, which has helped make it successful year after year, even in a post-COVID world where the need is higher than ever.”
The top requested non-perishable food items are cereal, pasta, pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce, rice, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meals (such as soups, chili and pasta), 100% juice, peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, canned protein (tuna, chicken and turkey), beans (canned or dry). Those who are donating can also donate healthy, low-sodium, low-sugar items such as beans, oatmeal and other whole grains, and canola or olive oil.
No frozen food, homemade food, home-canned items or items in glass containers will be accepted.
To find out if your letter carrier is participating, please visit your local post office.
For more information about the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit unitedwayqc.org/stamp-out-hunger.
About United Way Quad Cities
United Way is a community-based social-change organization that puts opportunity in the hands of all Quad Citizens. Working with our determined partners, volunteers, advocates, and donors, we lead the charge to improve education, income, and health — the building-blocks of opportunity. The result is a mobilized community where every Quad Citizen is living their best possible life. unitedwayqc.org
About River Bend Food Bank
No one should go hungry. River Bend Food Bank works with 400+ hunger-relief partners in 23 counties to make sure people facing hunger have reliable access to healthy food. Leading the community-wide effort to eliminate hunger in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, the Food Bank distributes nearly twenty million meals each year to children, adults, and seniors through partner agencies and food pantries in schools, senior residences, and community organizations. River Bend Food Bank will feed people today and end hunger tomorrow.
