Stamp Out Hunger food drive has Phoenix roots as mail carriers collect nonperishables for local food banks

Stamp Out Hunger food drive begins May 10

The nationwide Stamp Out Hunger food drive has strong Phoenix roots and begins on Saturday, May 10. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has the story.

PHOENIX - Arizona letter carriers will deliver more than just mail this weekend. 

They will also take part in the largest single-day food drive in the US. 

The annual Stamp Out Hunger Drive is May 10 and you may be surprised to find out its an event with a deep history in Arizona. 

"It actually kind of got its start in Phoenix," said Mary Halford, Treasurer of the NALC Arizona branch.

The backstory:

The food drive began almost 50 years ago. 

In 1976, a Valley branch of letter carriers began picking up food donations for St. Mary’s Food Bank in their own vehicles. 

"Our national president at the time heard about it because it was a very successful drive that they did," said Halford. "Just one branch, and he decided that maybe we ought get involved in this." 

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Timeline:

This initiative grew, becoming the Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive held each year on the second Saturday of May.  

Over the past 33 years, mail carriers have collected nearly two billion pounds of food, serving food banks across the country, including 120 pounds in Arizona. 

"It's a time of year when we see a lot of need increase because kids are out of school and they don't get their free and reduced breakfast and lunches. And so it's also a time when food banks nationally run low on donations," said food drive manager Maddie Mittelstaedt. 

"And this is a great boost to start us for the summer and keep our pantry stocked."

What we know:

The entire food drive takes place at your mailbox. 

Residents are asked to leave nonperishable food items like peanut butter, tuna or cereal at their mailbox. 

The letter carriers handle the rest, making sure the food gets to one in five Arizonans and one in four children dealing with hunger issues in our state.

"As a mail carrier, it gives me a good sense of pride knowing that not just delivering the mail for everybody every day, giving them the important bills or the packages that they wanted to order online, but knowing that we had a big hand in helping out America for the less fortunate that are in need of the food," said Tempe letter carrier Ryan Taylor.