TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — While USPS letter carriers are out on their routes, they aren’t just delivering mail — they are also picking up bags filled with nonperishable food items.
Each year on the second Saturday of May, the National Association of Letter Carriers hosts its nationwide food drive, Stamp Out Hunger, which benefits local communities.
The collected items in the Tucson area go to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
Letter Carrier Amber Underwood has been part of the tradition for 29 years now. While it’s always a busy day of work for her, she explained that it is well worth it.
Underwood said, "It’s completely exciting because when I drive down the street and I see the bags hanging on the mail boxes, we’re like, 'Woo-hoo! Yay! We got a lot of food!'"
The single-day food drive typically brings in around 200,000 pounds of food, the largest food drive of the year.
Their goal for 2024 was 250,000 pounds of food.
The food bank’s CEO, Malea Chavez said the collected goods should last them through about October.
"The food that we bring in helps us sustain through the summer months," she explained. "We experience a big peak after the holiday season, during the summer when kids are home and out of school."
Chavez also said they have seen about a 30 percent increase in need in Southern Arizona this year compared to last, and believes it takes the whole community to make it a successful event.
"Just knowing how caring our community is is heartwarming," Chavez noted. "And there’s a lot of gratitude within our whole team."
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
