This Saturday is Stamp Out Hunger, a national food drive across 10,000 cities where mail carriers collect nonperishable food items on their routes and donate them to those in need.
The National Association of Letter Carriers has held this food drive for over three decades, each year on the second Saturday in May.
City carrier for Atascadero, Amy Winslow, has participated in the food drive for eight years.
She says some of the carriers even compete to see who picks up the most food.
“One year I did win,” Winslow said. “We get all into it and really want to make sure that people are taken care of.”
Donations benefit community food banks, like Atascadero Loaves and Fishes.
Kathy Bennett, now an active volunteer with Atascadero Loaves and Fishes, worked for 17 years as a mail carrier in Southern California.
“As a mail carrier, they would have to come out and empty my truck ten times during the day, I had so much food in it. So the result is wonderful,” Bennett said.
Although she participated in Stamp Out Hunger during that time, she didn’t realize quite how big of an impact it made until she began volunteering with the food bank.
“I was able to see what happens to all that food and how it goes to community members and what the need is out there, so that turned out to be really kind of full-circle for me,” Bennett said.
Although Stamp Out Hunger is technically a one-day event, this year, food drive collection barrels will remain inside the post office until next Friday to give donors additional time to participate.
Donors can drop off nonperishable food at the following locations:
Atascadero Post Office
- 9800 El Camino Real
- Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED
Templeton Post Office
- 101 N Main St
- Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday: CLOSED
