Jeremy Tomlinson is the organizer of the Post Office Food Drive from NALC Local Union 888. (Photo provided)
Saturday, May 12 is the 26th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. In the Noblesville and Fishers communities, local NALC Union 888 is partnering with Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank and its broad network of food pantries and meal programs across the county. The letter carriers make this one of the easiest food drives you can do, just leave your non-perishable items in a bag (which will be provided in the mail the week before) by your mail box and they will pick it up on May 12. The food will be distributed here in Hamilton County. They want to exceed last year’s grand total of 32,470 pounds.
According to Map the Meal Gap, there are 26,710 food insecure individuals here in Hamilton County and many are children. In just over a month, food pantries and other community led groups will start serving approximately 1,100 children over 50,000 meals for Summer Lunch programs. These programs vary from hot served meals to healthy meal packs to extra food pantry privileges to packed lunches.
Good items to donate are: Canned chicken or tuna, Chef Boyardee cans, mac and cheese cups, canned fruit, small peanut butter jars and cereal such as Cheerios and Chex.
HCH Food Bank and NALC Union 888 wish to thank the Noblesville Meijer store, Noblesville Chick-fil-A restaurant, Frito Lay and On Lindley Hill for their donation of supplies and food and all of the volunteer groups and families who folded and stapled bags. Please join the Letter Carriers on Saturday, May 12 in Stamping Out Hunger here in Hamilton County by donating non-perishable food items.
For more information about Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, Summer Lunch, Meating the Need, Produce Project in partnership with Ivy Tech and all of the programs that Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank partners with, please see HCHFoodBank.org. You can find volunteer opportunities on the Sign Up Genius on the website.