Help 'Stamp Out Hunger'

The demand at local food pantries has never been higher, but you can help restock depleted shelves this spring by participating in the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

On Saturday, May 8, letter carriers will be collecting non-perishable food items at mailboxes across Greenville County and the country for Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest single-day food drive.

Donations collected locally will be delivered to the Community Food Bank of the Upstate and Harvest Hope.

To participate, simply leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to your mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 8. Food items should be in non-breakable containers, such as boxes and cans. Letter carriers will then collect the donations as they deliver the mail and take them to the food banks.

Now in its 18th year, drive organizers hope to exceed last year’s record-setting total of 73.4 million pounds of donated food, as well as surpass one billion pounds of food collected over the history of the drive.

While donations to food banks traditionally spike during the winter holiday season, those supplies become limited by the spring and summer months.

The effects of the recession and unemployment rates are also having a dramatic impact on the agencies that help the hungry. In a recent survey conducted by Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic-hunger-relief organization, its 203 food bank members consistently reported increased demand for emergency food assistance, ranging from five to 150 percent.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States, the number of Americans living in food insecure homes increased from 36.2 million in 2007, to 49.1 million in 2008. Perhaps most alarming, of this total, approximately one in four is a child (16.7 million).

The need is just as great locally. Harvest Hope was one of six agencies that received $10,000 in emergency funding this year from United Way of Greenville County to help meet the increased demand for basic needs assistance.