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

Long Island, May 2008 – 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
More than, 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.

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 9 next to their mailboxes for collection by their letter carriers, or bring food donations to their local post offices.

Find out what to donate or how you can volunteer to sort and pack food.