Largest Single-Day Food Drive Aids Millions of Americans in Need and Supports Local Food Banks
CAMDEN, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 6, 2014– On Saturday, May 10, 2014, Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will team up once again to participate in the annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive to ‘Stamp Out Hunger,’ which supports local food banks, including Feeding America member food banks. Now in its 22nd year, the nation’s largest single-day food drive provides assistance to the millions of Americans who struggle to put food on the table.
Twenty percent of households with children are food insecure.1 Many of these families rely on their local food banks to supply them with weekly groceries, which they may not otherwise be able to purchase. The summer months are often a difficult time for families facing food-insecurity with school out of session and fewer free and reduced-priced breakfast and lunch programs active. The Stamp Out Hunger food drive provides a strong push of donated items in spring, a critical time for food banks to stock their shelves in preparation for the summer season.
Campbell Soup Company is on par to donate 11 million pounds of food to Feeding America and its network of food banks this year to help children and families who struggle with hunger2.
“At Campbell, we believe that what we do every day matters,” said Mark Alexander, Senior Vice President and President-Campbell North America. “Families of all kinds rely on our foods and communities rely on us to help them thrive. We strive to make a positive impact in the world through the food and beverages we make and our role in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is a natural fit with Campbell’s efforts to help combat hunger. We urge everyone to join us in this effort on May 10 and help provide for their community members in need.”
Local Communities Helping to Fight Hunger
In 2013, letter carriers collected food donations in more than 10,000 U.S. communities, helping to put millions of meals on the tables of Americans in need. Last year, the Letter Carriers’ Food Drive celebrated a decade of consecutive donations of more than 70 million pounds of food collected in association with the food drive.3
“As letter carriers, we have relationships across many communities in America and see firsthand the impact that hunger has on millions of families,” NALC President Fredric V. Rolando said. “That’s why we are so honored to have Campbell Soup Company team up with us again for the food drive. Over the past two decades, NALC and Campbell have actively worked together to encourage Americans to donate the 1.3 billion pounds that have been collected.”3
Today, 49 million Americans face food insecurity,1 keeping food insecurity at staggering levels and the fight for hunger-relief an important area of focus. Those interested in participating in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive this year are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, rice and cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of their regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 10. Our nation’s 175,000 letter carriers, representing approximately 1,500 NALC locals across the country, will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and drop them off at local food banks within the participants’ communities.
Feeding America provides food assistance to 37 million Americans every year, including nearly 14 million children and 3 million seniors. The organization secures and distributes 3.9 billion pounds of donated food products annually through a vast network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 food assistance agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and after-school programs.1
“Volunteers and sponsors are crucial to our work, so we’re thankful to have built such strong relationships with both the NALC and Campbell Soup Company through Stamp Out Hunger,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. “This program wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of local communities nationwide, and with their help we can make 2014 the biggest food drive success yet!”
For more information about the annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive to Stamp Out Hunger, visit www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, and follow the food drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.
About Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company is a manufacturer and marketer of high-quality foods and simple meals, including soup and sauces, snacks and healthy beverages. Founded in 1869, the company has a portfolio of market-leading brands, including “Campbell’s,” “Pepperidge Farm,” “Arnott’s,” “V8,” “Bolthouse Farms,” “Plum Organics” and “Kjeldsens.” Through its corporate social responsibility program, the company strives to make a positive impact in the workplace, in the marketplace and in the communities in which it operates. Campbell is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. For more information, visit www.campbellsoupcompany.com or follow company news on Twitter via @CampbellSoupCo.
About Feeding America
Feeding America is the nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in communities across America.
Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.
Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
About the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
The 280,000-member NALC represents letter carriers across the country employed by the U.S. Postal Service, along with retired letter carriers. Founded by Civil War veterans in 1889, the NALC is among the country’s oldest labor unions. For more information, visit https://www.nalc.org, “like” NALC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nalc.national, and follow NALC on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/NALC_National.
1 See Feeding America’s 2013 annual report available at: https://feedingamerica.org/press-room/press-releases/state-of-hunger-annual-report-2013.aspx.
2 Based on Feeding America’s Fiscal Year (July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014).
3 According to the National Association of Letter Carriers; https://www.nalc.org/commun/foodrive/
Source: Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup CompanyMegan Haney, 856-342-4978[email protected]orWeber ShandwickPriya Vaswani, 312-988-2499[email protected]
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