National Mailbox Food Drive May 9

The National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive is Saturday, May 9.

Place nonperishable food donations by your mailbox on the morning of Saturday, May 9, for the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive.

More than 3,000 letter carriers across America will collect donations of nonperishable food from their postal customers.

1) Look for a yellow, plastic food drive bag in your mail during the first week of May.

2) Fill the bag (or any bag) with nutritious, nonperishable food.

3) Place it by your mailbox early on Saturday, May 9.

Letter carriers will collect nonperishable food donations left by mailboxes and take them to their local post office, where volunteers will pack the food. Trucks will pick up the food and deliver it to regional food banks of the Oregon Food Bank Network. All donated food stays in the community where it was collected.

If you miss your letter carrier's daily visit, drop off your food donations at any post office by Wednesday, May 13.

The goal this year is to collect 1.75-million pounds of food during the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive. Last year's NALC Food Drive raised more than 1.65-million pounds of food throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.

"This is always my favorite day of the year to deliver mail," said Portland letter carrier Kevin Card. "We deliver to every neighborhood in America, so we see the need first hand. That's why we encourage all postal customers to give generously on NALC Food Drive day. We may be tired at the end of the day, but it feels good to help."

"The National Association of Letter Carriers provides a critical source of much needed nutritious, shelf-stable food," says Rachel Bristol, executive director and CEO of Oregon Food Bank. "This drive is especially important during these difficult economic times when so many of our neighbors have lost their jobs. Requests for emergency food have climbed 15 percent throughout Oregon and Clark County, Wash. In some parts of the state, distribution has increased 40 percent. I encourage everyone to participate in this important, one-day food drive."

Most-wanted foods for the drive include
*              Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon)
*              Canned and boxed meals (soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese)
*              Canned or dried beans and peas (black, pinto, lentils)
*              Pasta, rice cereal
*              Canned fruits
*              100 percent fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)
*              Canned vegetables
*              Cooking oil
*              Boxed cooking mixes (pancake, breads)

Please NO
*              rusty or unlabeled cans
*              glass containers
*              perishable items
*              homemade items
*              noncommercial canned or packaged items
*              alcoholic beverages
*              mixes or soda
*              open or used items