Senator Flanagan Supports NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

New York State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) is again supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) during their annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.  As they do every year, on Saturday, May 13^th, letter carriers throughout the nation will be collecting donations of non-perishable items along their normal route to help families in need.

This annual event, which is now in its 25^th year, will help restock area food banks, pantries and shelters to ensure that these community centers have the supplies they need to accomplish their mission.  According to the NALC, last year’s drive collected a record 80 million pounds of nonperishable food.  That brings the total amount of food donated through this special program to over 1.5 billion pounds since it began a quarter-century ago.

To help the letter carriers in this charitable endeavor and to make it more convenient for residents in the 2^nd Senate District to participate, Senator Flanagan’s office will be collecting donations at his district office in Smithtown every weekday from now until Friday, May 12^th.  Anyone wishing to donate to the food drive can visit his office located at 260 Middle Country Road in Smithtown during normal business hours.

The organization asks residents to avoid donating expired items, frozen food, homemade food, home-canned items, or food in glass jars.  They also noted that, in keeping with good food-handling and food-safety procedures, food that is opened, damaged, out of code or does not have the official ingredients included will be discarded by the food bank in the sorting process.

According to the NALC, the most requested non-perishable foods include:

• Cereal
• Pasta
• Pasta Sauce
• Rice
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Canned meals such as soups, chili, pasta 
• 100% juice
• Peanut butter 
• Macaroni & cheese
• Canned protein – tuna, chicken, turkey
• Beans – canned or dry

They also recommend donating healthy, low-sodium, low-sugar items such as beans, oatmeal and other whole grains, and canola or olive oil.

For residents who prefer making their donation at their residence, items will be collected during normal mail routes on Saturday, May 13^th.  All donations should be placed by the mailbox or at the front door to allow for easy pickup.  While most post offices are participating in the program, residents are encouraged to check with their personal mail carrier.

“Every year, the men and women of the United States Postal Service undertake this massive program to help feed families in need and it is our pleasure to do our small part to assist them in their efforts.  They should all be proud of their selfless dedication to the families in our area and I would like to say thank you for their generosity and kindness,” stated Senator Flanagan.  “It is my hope that our community can come together to help them in whatever way possible to make sure that this is their most successful year yet.”

Residents who would like more information about this program should click here.