Help Stamp Out Hunger on May 10, 2003: Leave nonperishable food by your mailbox for your letter carrier

(Cleveland, Ohio) May 6, 2003

Help Stamp Out Hunger by placing nonperishable food by your mailbox on Saturday, May 10, 2003. Join the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 40 and the U.S. Postal Service in the 9th Annual Food Drive. When your letter carrier delivers your mail, he or she will pick up your donation and take it to the local post office, where it will be distributed to local food banks and pantries.

In 2002, Cleveland letter carriers collected 521,122 pounds of food, a record in the state of Ohio for a one-day collection. More than 3 million pounds of food have been given to Cleveland-area local shelters and food pantries since collections began.

The food drive is part of a national event organized by the NALC and the U.S. Postal Service. National Co-sponsors are U.S. P.S. AFL/CIO/ Campbell's, United Way and America's Second Harvest. Nationally, more than 10,000 cities and towns participate in the food drive. For the last seven years, Cleveland has been among the 25 highest ranked cities. All food is kept in the city in which it is collected.

"With the stresses of today's economy, even more people of all ages in our community, especially children, go to bed hungry, and letter carriers, just like United Way and its volunteers, care about the community in which they work and live," said letter carrier Richard F. Bilski, food drive co-coordinator with USPS Cleveland Postmaster Lori M. Wigley and member of NACL Branch 40. "Your letter carriers are taking their time and effort to make someone else's life easier."

"United Way of America is supporting the "Stamp Out Hunger" effort on the national level, just as we are doing on the local level here in Cleveland," said K. Michael Benz, president and CEO of United Way Services. "This partnership helps to amplify the message that we do great things…together!"