Hiawatha, IA, MAY 4, 2016 – Every day, all across America, millions of hard-working families struggle to put food on the table. Working together, we have the power to make a real difference – to help feed Eastern Iowa’s hungry. On Saturday, May 14 letter carriers throughout our communities are asking everyone to contribute food to the “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive.
Participating in the Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a non- perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14th and your letter carrier will do the rest. I invite you to join in America’s great day of giving and help us in our fight to end hunger.
Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face-to-face with the sad reality of hunger for too many in Iowa. During the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive letter carriers collect food during their routes. The afternoon of May 14, a team of letter carrier volunteers will help deliver and sort food at this area’s Feeding America food bank, HACAP Food Reservoir (1515 Hawkeye Drive, Hiawatha, IA).
HACAP works to source and distribute food to more than 100 non-profit Partner Agencies in Linn, Cedar, Benton, Iowa, Jones, Johnson and Washington Counties including soup kitchens, pantries, senior and daycare centers, drug and alcohol treatment centers, homeless shelters and other nonprofit food programs that feed the needy.
Each year, more than 46 million Americans – including 12 million children – rely on Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.
Hunger has no boundaries and is a problem that exists in urban, suburban and rural communities. In fact, 12.2% of Linn County residents are food insecure. In the fiscal Year 2015, the HACAP Food Reservoir distributed approximately 4.4 million pounds of food to our partner agencies in 7 counties. The gift of nutrient-rich food can help feed a childhood and help kids in need realize their potential with well-nourished food.
Map the Meal Gap shows how hunger impacts every county in the country. With its network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters throughout the country, Feeding America helps provide food to children in need.
The food received from “Stamp Out Hunger” will be distributed by the HACAP Food Reservoir to those in need in our community. According to HACAP Food Reservoir Director, Linda Gorkow, “Food donations are extremely important this time of year as the food pantries, feeding programs, treatment centers and our other partner agencies serve even those in most need.”
Stamp Out Hunger is a collaborative effort between the NALC (National Association of Letter Carriers), United Way of East Central Iowa and HACAP.
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