SOUTHWEST MONTANA ― On Saturday, May 12, The National Association of Letter Carriers will help Stamp Out Hunger in southwest Montana, including the greater Big Sky area. Now in its 20th year, the annual food drive has grown from a regional to a national effort that provides assistance to the millions of Americans struggling to put food on the table.
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive, held annually on the second Saturday in May, has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive benefitting local food banks across the country. In 2011, Americans donated 70.2 million pounds of food, which marked the eighth consecutive year that at least 70 million pounds were collected by letter carriers. In the greater Gallatin Valley area 21,000 pounds of food was collected for distribution at area food banks in Bozeman, Three Forks and West Yellowstone.
“We’re asking people across the valley for their support to make this year’s drive the most successful in its 20 year history,” said Lori Christenson, Gallatin Valley Food Bank Program Manager. “It’s so easy to make a donation: Simply leave a bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox or stop by your local post office to help neighbors in need.”
The need for food assistance exists in every community in Montana, no matter how rich or poor. According to the latest Gallatin Valley Food Bank figures, roughly 1 in 7 Gallatin Valley residents has turned to the food bank for emergency food assistance. For more information visit gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org or call (406) 586-7600.
