By Payton Tholstrup

In 1993, mail carriers launched the Stamp Out Hunger Drive, also known as the Letter Carrier’s Food Drive. They had realized food insecurity was a large problem in the neighborhoods they delivered mail to. Food insecurity is the inability to regularly afford food to eat more than one meal per day. Individuals dealing with food insecurity can also struggle to find nutritious foods.

To combat this, letter carriers banded together and created this event; it has now become the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Now, every year on the second Saturday in May, mail carriers head out on their routes and collect donations of non-perishable food items to bring to local pantries.

Letter carriers in Concordia will be participating in the event, collecting items to bring to the Cloud County Resource Center’s Food Bank. It’s simple to donate; residents of Concordia just need to leave their non-perishable items in a bag near their mailbox this Saturday. The letter carriers will take care of the rest.

According to the Cloud County Resource Center, Cloud has a food insecurity rate of approximately 15%. Food banks, blessings boxes, emergency pantries, commodities programs, and little free pantries help combat this number.

While any non-perishable items can be donated, Executive Director Tonya Merrill said there are a few items she is targeting for the very busy upcoming summer months. There will be high demand for Mac and Cheese, canned fruit, cereal, ramen noodles, box dinners, peanut butter and jelly, canned meats, condiments, bar soap, feminine hygiene pads, razors, shave gel, body wash, and baby formula.

For more information, feel free to contact the Resource Center at 785-242-1065.