Postal Carriers Collect 1.8 Billion Pounds of Food Through Stamp Out Hunger Drive

Every second Saturday in May, a nationwide effort transforms the daily mail route into a lifeline for communities facing food insecurity. Postal carriers across the country pick up donated food along their routes, collecting bags of canned goods, pasta, and shelf-stable proteins left by residents at their mailboxes.

Founded in 1993 by the National Association of Letter Carriers, Stamp Out Hunger has collected over 1.8 billion pounds of food to help those in need. The initiative leverages the postal service's reach into every community and county in the United States, creating what organizers describe as a massive impact concentrated into a single day.

The food collected doesn't sit idle. Within hours of collection, donations arrive at food banks where volunteers sort items by category—green beans in one box, corn in another, pasta separated from proteins. These organized supplies then move quickly to agency partners who distribute them to families and individuals struggling with hunger.

For Gary Rice, a letter carrier and long-time participant, the drive carries personal weight. As a single parent of three children, he experienced food insecurity firsthand. "I recognized the difficulty. I recognized what it meant to my kids," Rice said. "So for me, it's actually a personal issue."

Collection day requires extra effort from carriers who make multiple trips to drop off heavy bags at post offices, carrying cans in their satchels alongside regular mail. Food banks particularly value pop-top canned goods, which anyone can open without special tools, along with vegetables, fruits, soups, rice, and proteins.

Feeding America operates food banks in every state, and the partnership with postal services creates what organizers call a true display of community working together to address a hierarchy of needs issue that affects everything from children's academic performance to seniors' ability to remain independent.