Help Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday in the Lowcountry

Saturday is the day for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, a convenient way for tri-county residents to donate nonperishable food to the needy.

It’s the 20th year of the tradition, which has provided more than 1 billion pounds of food nationally since 1992.

The National Association of Letter Carriers and the Lowcountry Food Bank will work together locally.

Residents can leave nonperishable food donations by their mailboxes for pickup by their carrier or take those items to a local post office. Donate items that don’t require refrigeration, but do not include goods that are expired or in glass containers.

The Lowcountry Food Bank serves as a food provider and anti-hunger advocate for agencies in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties that provide hunger-relief services, such as food pantries, soup kitchens and children’s programs.

Major national sponsors of the drive are the U.S. Postal Service and Campbell Soup Co., which has earmarked a 1-million-pound canned food donation.

In South Carolina, Publix Supermarkets will provide 2.5 million food bags to be delivered to residents for their donations. Used for the first time statewide last year, food bags drove up donations from 273,305 pounds to 382,627 pounds of food, according to the Postal Service.

In the Lowcountry Food Bank’s service area, a record 140,000 pounds of food was collected last year.

The Food Bank’s message to the Lowcountry: “Now, more than ever, the LCFB needs your help to continue feeding the hungry in the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina, and the Stamp out Hunger food drive could not come at a better time of year. Summer is the most difficult time of the year for many food insecure families; children are out of school, electric bills run high, and gas prices continue to increase. Food collected during the drive helps the LCFB meet the increase in demand.”