Letter Carriers Taking Part in Annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Food Drive

The United Way of Bemidji Area is pairing up with the National Association of Letter Carriers to combine mail delivery and food donations this weekend.

The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is set for this Saturday, May 10th. All donations from Bemidji will go to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf, and all community members and area businesses are invited to take part in the effort. Any non-perishable, non-expired items, such as canned or boxed goods, are welcome.

“Peanut butter, cereals, soups, any nonperishable items that people want to donate,” explained United Way of the Bemidji Area Executive Director Denae Alamano. “Also hygiene products or deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent—all of that will be useful for the food shelf.”

The event isn’t just taking place in Bemidji—the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has been around for many years and is nationally recognized. Local mail carriers will be on their normal routes on Saturday, so every donation can be left by mailboxes before regular mail delivery on Saturday morning. All participants have to do is put their items in a sturdy bag and bring it to the curb.

“So even if you’re fishing, you can always put that out before you go out in the morning,” said Alamano. “There is a low effort to just get down to your mailbox and donate what you want to. You don’t have to show up to the food shelf in their open hours. The food shelf doesn’t have to come pick it up themselves. It’s a really great partnership, and we’re really lucky to have our local postal service wanting to partner with us on this.”

Although the food drive is officially on Saturday, in Bemidji, donation boxes are open for drop-offs all week at the downtown post office lobby and Raphael’s Bakery.