FoodbankSBC
By the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will benefit from the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) annual food drive on Saturday, May 13th, 2023. Postal customers can donate non-perishable food items by leaving them next to mailboxes before mail is delivered on the day of the drive.
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive accepts all shelf-stable, non-glass food items. The most needed foods for the drive are nut butters, canned protein (such as tuna, chicken and salmon), whole grain cereals, pasta, canned pasta sauce, dried beans, canned beans, canned corn, healthy soups and stews, oatmeal, bouillon, olive oil and rice.
All non-perishable food left next to mailboxes before mail delivery on May 13 will be collected by letter carriers as they deliver mail along their postal routes. All food donated by Santa Barbara County residents will go to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
Every summer, the Foodbank sees an increase in the number of people needing food assistance. This year, with the expiration of CalFresh Emergency Allotments, inflated grocery prices and lost wages, the need will be unprecedented. The Foodbank’s goal for this year’s annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is 100,000 pounds.
“There is no easier way to donate,” said Lisa Skvarla, the Foodbank’s Chief People Officer. “Just leave the food in a sturdy bag by the mailbox. We’ll have volunteers at each post office ready to help unload the bags from our trusty postal carriers and get them on trucks to the warehouses.”
The NALC has conducted the annual nationwide food drive on the second Saturday in May for more than 30 years. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is held in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.
“Many people in this country struggle with hunger every day,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “We are honored to be able to help people in need by leading an effort that brings out the best in so many Americans. Six days a week, letter carriers see first-hand the needs in the communities where we work, and we’re committed to helping meet those needs.”
In 2019, Santa Barbara County residents donated more than 55,000 pounds of non-perishable food during the one-day drive, including more than 27,000 pounds for the Santa Barbara warehouse and over 28,000 pounds for the Santa Maria warehouse.
Several national partners are assisting the NALC, including the U.S. Postal Service, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO, Valpak, Vallassis, the Kellogg Company and CVS.
About the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is transforming health by eliminating hunger and food insecurity through good nutrition and food literacy. The Foodbank provides nourishment and education through a network of more than 200 distribution programs operated by the Foodbank, its network of partner agencies and volunteers. In Santa Barbara County, one in four people receive food support from the Foodbank; over 170,000 unduplicated people of whom 38% are children. Last year, the Foodbank distributed more than 10 million pounds of food – nearly half of which was fresh produce.
For more information, visit www.FoodbankSBC.org.
I give regularly to the Foodbank (money, not goods). Do the mail carriers actually want to lug food around? If they enjoy the event, I’ll do it, but it seems like a lot of work for the mail carriers, and not the most efficient use of resources. Any mail carriers care to weigh in on this?
The mail carriers will only need to load the bag into their vehicle and when they arrive back at the post office, there will be volunteers to unload and handle all of the food.
Are there that many who are starving/hungry in the County…? With the State providing EBT cards and all the section 8 housing, it seems like a family that has an (one) income and benefits from all the social welfare programs afforded to them, there shouldn’t be a “food insecurity” issue… The schools provide breakfast AND lunches as well… Those on EBT are covered without paying medical insurance unlike those who don’t qualify and pay thousands of dollars each year…
Coast, are you so bitter and angry that you have to piss everywhere? This is the community group volunteering to help others with food. Think of it as a food church and maybe your panties won’t be in such a knot.
Coast’s Motto: “If anyone, anywhere, is getting the help they need from someone other than themselves, be angry and cry about it.”