April showers are here and that means that the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, a.k.a. the Postal Drive, is fast approaching! Each year, the National Association of Letter Carriers facilitate a food drive in communities across the country. This year, Saturday, May 11th is the big day!
Our local letter carriers make it as easy as possible for community members to donate food to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Just simply leave a bag of non-perishables out by your mailbox, and your letter carrier will pick this up when they drop off your mail for the day. All of your donated food stays local, and if you live in the MCHPP service area, we will receive your donations promptly on the 11th.
Last year, the Postal Drive brought in 7,148 pounds of food. This is a great start – amounting to about two times the poundage of our average food donation. Let’s see if this year we can collect even more! Find ways to promote the drive in your neighborhood. Chat with your neighbors about it, or you can even put your bag of food out the night before to remind other folks on your street to participate. Thanks to our postal workers, this drive is an example of minimum effort for maximum impact.
If you’re looking to maximize your impact even further, please consider donating some items that are on the Food Bank’s “Wish List” for the month of May: canned vegetables, canned soup, Chef Boyardee, mac n’ cheese, cereal, spaghetti sauce, and peanut butter. You can also feel free to donate personal care items such as shampoo, and even pet food if you can!
Some final reminders about the Postal Drive: The drive will happen rain or shine! Please have your bags of food out by 9am on Saturday, May 11th to make sure it’s there for your letter carrier. Remember to not include any frozen, homemade, or expired items in your bag, as those items won’t meet food safety standards. As always, all donations are tax deductible.
If you choose to participate in the Postal Drive this year – thank you! We at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program appreciate your contribution. Also, remember to thank your Postal Service Workers for their hard work in organizing and executing this event. We are all looking forward to May 11th! 

Mary Sasso is the program director of Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Giving Voice is a weekly collaboration among four local non-profit service agencies to share information and stories about their work in the community.