Every year, millions of Americans take part in one simple act of kindness: leaving a bag of food by their mailbox.
That small gesture powers the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the largest single-day food drive in the United States, helping deliver meals to families facing hunger in communities across the country.
Here's what it is, why it matters, and how Move For Hunger plays a behind-the-scenes role in making sure every pound of donated food reaches the families who need it most.
What is Stamp Out Hunger?
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is an annual national food drive organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service and a coalition of national supporters.
It happens on the second Saturday of May every year, and the concept is simple:
- Residents place non-perishable food donations next to their mailbox before mail delivery.
- Letter carriers pick up the donations along their normal routes.
- The food is delivered to local food banks, pantries, and shelters.
No registration. No driving across town. Just place a bag of food beside your mailbox, to be picked up by a letter carrier who's already coming to your door.
Since the first nationwide drive in 1993, Stamp Out Hunger has collected more than 1.94 billion pounds of food for families in need.
Why the Month of May?
Hunger doesn't follow a calendar.
Many people associate food drives with the holidays. But food banks face a very different reality in late spring. By May, holiday donations have largely been distributed. At the same time, more than 30 million children who rely on free or reduced-price school meals are about to lose that daily lifeline when summer break begins.
Demand goes up. Supply goes down. Stamp Out Hunger was built to fill that gap.
What You Can Donate
Stamp Out Hunger accepts non-perishable food in non-breakable containers, including:
- Cereal and cereal bars
- Canned fruit, vegetables, meats, and soups
- Peanut butter
- Pasta and rice
- Dried beans
- Boxed meals and juices
- Dry milk and baby formula
Skip the glass. Donations travel in mail bags and trucks, so cans, boxes, and sturdy plastic are best.
Where Move For Hunger Comes In
Here's something most people don't realize about Stamp Out Hunger.
By the end of the day, post offices across the country are holding millions of pounds of donated food, and that food needs to reach local food banks the same day. Many food banks have trucks to handle that. Many don't.
That's where Move For Hunger steps in.
Every year, food banks reach out to us asking for transportation help on Stamp Out Hunger day. We connect them with our nationwide network of moving companies and transportation providers, who volunteer their trucks and crews to make the pickup happen.
The result: every pound of food collected has a clear path from the post office to the families who need it.
It's the same principle Move For Hunger has operated on since 2009. The trucks are already moving. The logistics networks already exist. Our job is connecting them with purpose.
Who Makes Stamp Out Hunger Work
Stamp Out Hunger succeeds because of collaboration. Every part of the day depends on a different group stepping up:
- Letter carriers who collect donations along their routes
- Residents who give generously from their pantries
- Postal workers and volunteers who sort donations at local stations
- Transportation partners who bridge the gap between post offices and food banks
- Food banks and pantries who distribute food to families in need
Together, this network turns one day of action into lasting impact for millions of Americans facing food insecurity.
How to Participate in Stamp Out Hunger
Residents: Mark the second Saturday of May on your calendar, every year. Place a bag of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before mail delivery. Tell your friends and neighbors.
Moving companies & transportation providers: Stamp Out Hunger is one of the highest-impact volunteer days of the year. Join the Move For Hunger network and we'll connect you with food banks in your area that need transportation support.
Food banks needing pickup help: Reach out to Move For Hunger. We'll coordinate with our network to get donations from your local post office to your facility.
One day. Thousands of communities. Millions of meals. Every bag matters. Every truck matters. Every connection matters.
That's how we Stamp Out Hunger: together.
Want to support hunger relief beyond Stamp Out Hunger? Host a food drive, volunteer transportation services, or join the Move For Hunger network at MoveForHunger.org/join.
