NALC food drive next Saturday, May 10

My union, National Association of Letter Carriers is holding their annual food drive next weekend. I hope that your can leave a bag or two of food out by your mailbox. There is such a need for it at this time. Summer is such a crucial time for food banks. School children who usually get their main meal at school don't have that option in the summer. And the food banks have found that many of the working class folk are in need of their help, sadly a sign of the times.













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2008 Food Drive is letter carrier blitz against hunger

Letter carriers, with help from their sisters and brothers in the other postal crafts and thousands of other volunteers, will stage a blitz on Saturday, May 10, to combat hunger in America, conducting NALC’s annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive in every U.S. state and jurisdiction.

The drive, in its 16th year, is the largest one-day food collection in the nation and the biggest community service effort by any union affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

“The food drive is the hallmark of the union’s tradition of community service,” said NALC President William H. Young, “a very rich tradition that includes numerous heroic acts by carriers as they deliver mail along their routes, the year-long campaign to collect funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and watching out for the elderly through the Carrier Alert program.”

On the day before Mother’s Day this year, letter carriers will focus their efforts on restocking the community food banks, pantries and shelters that millions of American families will rely on throughout the summer.

The union settled on the second Saturday of May for the annual drive since food bank donations tend to wane after the winter holidays. This drop-off is particularly troublesome since the hunger problem is usually at its most critical during the summer when school breakfast and lunch programs—often the only source of stable nutrition for millions of children—are suspended.


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The challenge this year is especially daunting. All signs point o a deepening recession, and with gasoline prices flirting with $4 a gallon, more and more families—including those of carriers—are looking everywhere for ways to save money. This economic squeeze comes while 35 million Americans are experiencing what the federal government refers to as “very low food security,” a euphemistic way of saying people are either already going hungry or are worried about where their next meal will come from.

In light of these conditions, President Young has asked each NALC branch to make a special effort to increase collection totals over last year.

“The need is very great, with many, many food pantries reporting record numbers of men, women and children seeking assistance,” said President Young. “And it will only get worse if our economy continues to decline.”

In 2007, the drive delivered 70.7 million pounds of non-perishable items donated by patrons to local food organizations—the fourth consecutive year the total surpassed 70 million pounds.

Last year’s figure brought the overall total for the nationwide drive’s history to 836.2 million pounds.

The U.S. Postal Service has pledged its assistance at every level, from enthusiastic support by Postmaster General John E. Potter and others at USPS Headquarters to hands-on backing by many area and district managers, postmasters and postal supervisors. Numerous carriers represented by the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association join the drive—some in rural-only post offices—and NRLCA President Donnie Pitts has been steadfast in encouraging his members to help make the drive successful in their communities.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney annually asks all of the labor federation’s affiliated unions, community services personnel, state federations and Central Labor Councils to help. America’s Second Harvest, the national food bank network, assists with extensive promotion, both nationally and locally. And the United Way of America, along with local United Way chapters across the country, provides important coordination and promotion in many cities and towns.

The drive has two national corporate supporters, Campbell Soup Company and Valpak/Cox Target Media, plus many local and regional backers, including food store chains such as Publix and Kroger, banks, newspapers, radio and television stations, and health care organizations, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Caremark.

Campbell Soup is by far the largest supporter, partnering with the Postal Service in printing 124 million postcards to alert the public to the drive. Campbell’s also provides a massive public relations boost that includes a public service announcement on television featuring the Harlem Globetrotters, a special “Stamp Out Hunger” coupon in newspapers the Sunday before the drive, scores of full-page advertisements in popular magazines, and Internet resources.

The soup giant also helps with the production of materials that assist NALC branches, including inflatable soup cans and yard signs. And Campbell’s will once again donate 1 million cans of soup for nationwide distribution, plus 1,000 cans of soup to food banks or pantries designated by each of the top food-gathering branches in 10 membership categories. President Young will also present plaques to those branches at the 66th Biennial Convention in Boston this July. (Details below.)

In addition to the postcards, set for delivery just days before the drive, Valpak is giving the country advance notice through 44 million direct-mail advertising envelopes that prominently feature the drive. These packets began arriving in mailboxes March 19 and will continue through April 25.

A new DVD, entitled “The NALC Food Drive: Making America a Better Place,” has been distributed to participating branches for use at stand-ups, branch meetings, civic gatherings and school assemblies. The disk includes a song about the drive, “Feed the Nation,” written by Royal Oak, Michigan Branch 3126 member Jim Hunter.

Shortly before the drive, branch coordinators will receive an official reporting form for the final results of their drive, with instructions on how to get that information back to NALC Headquarters.

Articles about the results of the drive, along with a list of branch totals and numerous photos, will appear in forthcoming issues of The Postal Record.

A Priority Mail packet has gone out to branch coordinators that includes the DVD, a special coordinator’s manual, forms for ordering English- and Spanish-language promotional postcards, the official drive poster and forms for ordering posters in bulk, at cost.

Questions about the drive should be directed to Drew Von Bergen, NALC Director of Public Relations and national food drive coordinator at 202-662-2489, by mail at NALC National Headquarters or by e-mail at vonbergen(at)nalc.org.

Additional information is available at www.helpstampouthunger.com.


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Nearly 1,300 Branches in Food Drive

Coordinator’s packets on the way;
New system for awards to top NALC branches

Branch activity for the May 10 NALC National Food Drive is heating up and the official Coordinator’s Manual and other materials are on their way to registered branches.

As of February 22 , the number of registered branches for the 2008 drive had swelled to 1,277.

The NALC has also received a unique drawing from famed syndicated cartoonists Bil and Jeff Keane to help promote the 2008 drive. A black-and-white slick of the cartoon, along with additional wordage and logos of the official national partners in the drive, is included in the packet being mailed to registered coordinators.

A hi-res, digital version of the full-color cartoon is also available, if needed. Coordinators desiring one of the color versions should send an e-mail to National Coordinator Drew Von Bergen with their request at vonbergen@nalc.org.

A new award system will be used this year to recognize branches that lead their membership categories in food collections. In 2008, NALC will present awards to branches in 10 membership categories that collect the largest amount of food in the drive. The previous system gave awards to the top two branches in each of five membership categories.

The Campbell Soup Company will also donate 1,000 pounds of soup to a local food bank designated by each of the 10 winning branches.

The top branch in 10 membership categories (active and retired) will be honored:

Category I 1 to 49 members Category VI 500 to 699 members
Category II 50 to 99 members Category VII 700 to 999 members
Category III 100 to 199 members Category VIII 1000 to 1499 members
Category IV 200 to 349 members Category IX 1500 to 1999 members
Category V 350 to 499 members Category X 2000 members and over

Details regarding the awards and an Official Results Reporting Form will be mailed to all branch food drive coordinators shortly before the May 10 drive. In addition to the special soup donation, each winning branch will receive a plaque at the 66th Biennial NALC Convention in Boston July 21-25 in recognition of its accomplishment.



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Annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Effort Set for May 10
New ‘Official’ Logo Unveiled For Letter Carriers Food Drive

Washington—NALC President William H. Young is challenging all branches to increase their effort in the annual NALC National Food Drive—entering its 16th year in 2008—and to surpass the amount of donations collected in the past.

“Our annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ drive plays a critical role in America’s effort to aid families in need, especially in providing high-quality and high-protein food for their diets,” Young said. “I am proud that NALC members and other volunteers can help by delivering donations from citizens along our postal routes to their community food banks, pantries and shelters.”

This year's drive will be held on its traditional second Saturday of May, May 10. It's the largest one-day food drive in the nation, having delivered over 70 million pounds of food to community food banks, pantries and shelters in each of the past four years. The May 2007 drive brought in 70.7 million pounds.

Registration forms for branches to participate in the 2008 drive mailed to all NALC branch presidents were due back at NALC headquarters by January 25 so that coordinators’ packets could be sent to those branches, including forms for ordering the FREE Campbell Soup-U.S. Postal Service postcards and the official food drive poster.

Branches that have participated in the food drive in the past must re-register for the 2008 drive to receive the postcard order form.

A welcome addition to this year's food drive is a new, "official" logo, which incorporates the name of the union and also the “Stamp Out Hunger” slogan that has become popular through the intense promotion by Campbell Soup Company over the years. The logo will be available to all NALC branches for use in promoting the annual drive.

Questions regarding the registration should be directed to Drew Von Bergen, national coordinator of the food drive, at (202) 662-2489, by email at vonbergen@nalc.org, or by mail at NALC headquarters.


NALC ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE TOPICS
May 2008 Postal Record article: Down to the wire: Feverish preparation for food drive
April 18, 2008 Bulletin article: Over 120 Million Postcards Enroute to Aid Food Drive
April 4, 2008 Bulletin article: Deputy PMG Donahoe Adds Support
For 16th NALC National Food Drive
April 2008 Postal Record article: 2008 NALC Food Drive: Blitz against hunger
March 2008 Postal Record article: Preparations picking up for 16th NALC Food Drive

I usually leave a note asking the carrier to come up to the porch, as I usually put a couple bags in a box for them to take, and I don't want one of the neighborhood roaming dogs to pee on it or try to get into it.

there is also inclement weather at this time of year. Here in Colorado, we had snow two days ago and today it is sunny and 70! It is amazing to see all of the food that we collect. Thanks for your help- you're a good soul.:-)

I appreciate the letter carriers for doing this.

with the exception of the few who grumble because of the extra work. And one lady that I knew who was a scab, so she wouldn't deliver the postcards advertising it. She didn't seem to realize that she wasn't hurting the union, but rather the people who would benefit from the food.

heck the USPS has to do with salt. *sigh*

Thanks for keeping this in front of us; especially for we who are, apparently, visually challenged. hee hee

Just a tremendous idea. Good luck!

My bag is packed and my regular letter carrier is a guy who LOVES the food drive.
:hi: