Letter Carriers Collect 904,500 of Food
in 16th Annual Food Drive to Feed LI's Hungry

Long Island – On Saturday, May 10, Long Islanders donated more than 904,500 pounds of food to “Help Stamp Out Hunger” on Long Island as part of the annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive, bringing the food drive total to more than 16.5 million pounds of food collected since 1995 and a 46,500 pound increase from last year.

“This food drive is vital in the fight against hunger on Long Island. Many of our residents who are now using food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries, are working people,” said Christopher Hahn, president & CEO of United Way of Long Island. “Long Island’s current economy is causing working families to have to make difficult choices, such as choosing between food and medicine, or food and heat. Gas and oil prices are at an all-time high, housing is unaffordable and taxes are increasing. Families on Long Island are struggling to make ends meet. We are thankful to all Long Islanders for your contributions and to the letter carriers for their tremendous efforts. Collecting such a great amount of food is an incredible achievement.”

“The one-day food drive is a great statement of trust between the public and all of the letter carriers, postal workers, volunteers and emergency food program representatives,” said Walter Barton, president of Branch 6000, National Association of Letter Carriers. “We are successful because we understand the need, and we are committed to helping Long Islanders.”

“Long Island Postal employees take great pride in the yearly food drive,” said Kenneth Hale, district manager-executive in charge, USPS, Long Island District. “Helping our neighbors is a very satisfying experience for all of us. We are proud of this year’s accomplishment and thankful to all Long Islanders who contributed to this great effort.”

The 904,500 pounds of food will supplement hundreds of thousands of meals to the more than 259,000 residents suffering from hunger, lasting for most of the summer months through a network of 500 nonprofit agencies on Long Island who receive food from both Long Island Cares and Island Harvest.

This food drive was coordinated by the NALC, the U.S. Postal Service, United Way of Long Island, Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, Interfaith Nutrition Network and the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

About Hunger on Long Island
Approximately 259,000 Long Island residents—93,000 of them children and 39,000 seniors—turn to soup kitchens, food pantries or shelters for help each year, according to a recent study released by America’s Second Harvest. More than two out of every five people who seek help must choose between paying for food and paying their rent, mortgage or utility bills, and more than one out of four must choose between food and medical care. In any given week, emergency food programs on Long Island serve approximately 44,000 people.

April 2007 -- Hunger on the Rise on Long Island:
Long Islanders asked to Donate Food Items for Island-Wide One-Day Food Drive

What’s important to understand about hunger on Long Island is that many of the Long Islanders who are utilizing food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries, are working people. Long Island’s current economy is causing working families to have to make difficult choices, such as choosing between food and medicine, or food and heat. Gas and oil prices are at an all-time high, housing is unaffordable and taxes are increasing. Families on Long Island are struggling to make ends meet...

As part of the 16th annual effort to collect food for the hungry on Saturday, May 10, 2008, the Long Island National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and partner U.S. Postal Service have joined with United Way of Long Island, Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, Interfaith Nutrition Network and the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, for the largest national one-day food drive.

Despite the incredible efforts made by each food drive partner annually, the number of food donations has dropped, as hunger continues to rise on Long Island. Approximately 259,000 Long Island residents suffer from hunger—93,000 of them children and 39,000 seniors. In 2005, the drive collected a record-breaking 1.5 million pounds of food. But, in 2007, that number dropped to 858,000 pounds. More help is needed from all Long Islanders to help stamp out hunger and feed their neighbors in need.

Each year, Long Island’s letter carriers are praised for their extraordinary efforts put forth to collect food for soup kitchens, pantries and shelters across Long Island. Last year, the 858,000 pounds of food donated by Long Islanders supplemented hundreds of thousands of meals, bringing the total contributions of food since 1995 to more than 15.6 million pounds. Still, this year, Long Island’s hungry need even more help.

“The one-day food drive is a great statement of trust between the public and all of the letter carriers, postal workers, volunteers and emergency food program representatives,” said Walter Barton, president of Branch 6000, National Association of Letter Carriers. “We are successful because we understand the need, and we are committed to helping Long Islanders.”

“Long Island Postal employees take great pride in the yearly food drive,” said Kenneth Hale, Acting District Manager-Executive in Charge, USPS, Long Island District. “Helping our neighbors is a very satisfying experience for all of us.”

“This is an important collaboration allowing us to feed even more Long Islanders by helping local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters expand their reach to serve more people,” said Christopher Hahn, president & CEO of United Way of Long Island. “Every effort Long Islanders can make to help neighbors in need with a donation of food at their mailboxes or at local post offices is greatly appreciated.”

How You Can Help
Support your neighbors in need and help to “Stamp Out Hunger.” Long Islanders are asked to leave non-perishable, food items on Saturday, May 10 next to their mailboxes for collection by their letter carriers, or bring food donations to their local post offices.

For more information on how you can help or to find out how you can volunteer to sort and pack food, visit www.stampouthungerli.com or contact Long Island Cares at 631.582.FOOD or Island Harvest 516.294.8528.