The Open Door
Julie LaFontaine, President and CEO
28 Emerson Ave.,
Gloucester, MA 01930
Media Contact: Kelsey Richards
Email: kelsey.richards@foodpantry.org
Phone: 978-283-6776 x 226
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday May 3, 2024
32nd Annual National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Coming to Cape Ann
CAPE ANN— Local letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes Saturday, May 11 through the 32nd annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive in local cities and towns including Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, and Ipswich.
Stamp Out Hunger is an annual, nationwide food drive spearheaded by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).
“The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive fills our shelves just in time for summer vacation when food budgets are stretching to feed the whole family and The Open Door is meeting a 30% jump in requests for food assistance,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “We’re thankful for the community’s generous response and the muscle of our local letter carriers that will deliver a bounty of food choices for the people who use our programs.”
Local NALC Branch 25 post offices participating include the Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ipswich post offices. Letter carriers from each community will deliver donations of non-perishable food left by mailboxes on Saturday, May 11 to The Open Door.
“The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive started in 1993,” said Bruce Johnson, a retired Gloucester letter carrier who continues to organize NALC Branch 25’s annual food drive. “Since then, Letter Carriers have unselfishly picked up food left by customers at their mailboxes. All the food collected on Cape Ann stays on Cape Ann. It benefits those that need a little extra help, especially children, during the summer months when school isn’t in session.”
Residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ipswich who wish to participate may leave a bag of shelf-stable, unexpired food out by their mailbox on the morning of Saturday, May 11. The Open Door asks participants to please NOT donate anything in a glass jar.
The Open Door is specifically requesting donations of the following: coffee, condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and salad dressings), peanut butter, tuna, and cooking oil.
Those who live outside the above four communities are encouraged to contact their post office to learn if they are participating in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
About The Open Door
The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security.
Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham. In 2023, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 9,836 people from 4,952 households through the distribution of 1.98 million pounds of food.
For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.
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