Blue Ridge Area Food Bank collects 115,000+ pounds of food during 'Stamp Out Hunger' drive
VERONA, Va. (WSET) — The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is able to come to the aid of thousands in need thanks to the 2023 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
As part of this year's drive, the food bank collected a total of 115,019 pounds – enough to provide approximately 95,849 meals to those who need it most.
According to Blue Ridge, the Stamp Out Hunger campaign is the nation’s largest one-day food collection effort, hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers.
This year’s event took place on Saturday, May 13, where the community across the food bank’s 25-county service area left donated food items at their mailboxes that were then picked up by letter carriers throughout the day.
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The food bank welcomed volunteers at local Post Offices across the region to help sort food items and drop off donations to the organization’s four branches.
The total pounds from participating locations are below:
- Charlottesville: 10,550 pounds
- Lynchburg: 29,279 pounds
- Harrisonburg: 7,598 pounds
- Northern Shenandoah Valley: 20,693 pounds
- Staunton: 8,678 pounds
- Shenandoah Valley: 32,370 pounds
- Waynesboro: 5,851 pounds
“The generosity and coordination behind Stamp Out Hunger are simply astounding – thank you to the letter carriers, volunteers, and all those who donated food for making this year’s event such a success,” said Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “Stamp Out Hunger comes at a critical time for families and children who are at home during the summer months, and we are thankful to have a fresh supply of food donations to help keep our pantries stocked.”
In the summer months, the Food Bank typically sees a decline in community food donations and an increase in demand, especially with kids home from school.
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Stamp Out Hunger helps bolster food supplies ahead of the season, putting the Food Bank and its pantry network in a better position to support individuals and families experiencing hunger.
To learn more about how you can support the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, click here.
