 Stamp Out Hunger May 12 will mark an important milestone for the NALC's Stamp Out Hunger national food drive."It's our 20th anniversary," NALC President Fredric Rolando noted. "For two decades now, our annual national drive has proved critical in helping millions of American families-our customers-who are struggling to make ends meet during this continuing recession. "Each year, the second Saturday in May is a day when all citizens have an opportunity, with the help of their letter carrier, to easily donate food to needy families in their community," he said.The drive, the largest one-day food-collection event in the nation, has been a success every year, Rolando said, but the needs are particularly sad, even staggering, in 2012."Sixteen percent of all Americans are at risk of hunger-uncertain where their next meal may be coming from. That includes 1 in 5 children under the age of 18, plus 4 million seniors who are forced every day to choose between paying a utility bill and buying food," he said.
Letter carriers in both Red Wing and Lake City have chosen to participate in this program, and they make it easy for all of us to contribute, you don't even have to be home. They leave us a reminder postcard and a bag to to fill with non-perishable food. All we have to do is pick up a few extra groceries, fill the bag and leave it by our post box. The letter carriers and retired volunteer carriers, will pick up the bags and deliver them to the local food shelf. The food shelves make sure hungry people are being fed. Donate items like canned meats, fish, soup, bottled juice, vegetables, pasta, cereal and rice that do not require refrigeration. Please do not include items that have expired or are in glass containers. Dee Bender of the Red Wing Food Shelf says they are in need of : - cereal
- Ramon Noodles
- canned soups
- baked beans
We need to care for each other if we want our communities to thrive. Many working people who are in need of a little assistance are too proud to ask or accept help. Part of our culture here in the midwest is to be strong and self-sufficient, we give help- we don't need help. I listened to a working father of four teens say the most difficult thing in his life is knowing that his job cannot provide for his family, that his sons don't look at him and think "I want to be just like my dad." In order to feed them this man has had to use the food shelf. I know my donation this weekend is helping people in crisis. We never know what is around the corner. Perhaps the current situation will change and someone I care about will need help. I hope that caring people will be willing to give them a hand. Maureen Nelson | 
