Local letter carriers to hold annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive
The National Association of Letter Carriers' annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is returning to Skagit County on Saturday, according to a news release from the organization.
Letter carriers, labor partners, students and community volunteers will unite in a shared effort to address food insecurity throughout the region.
Residents can set out sturdy bags of nonperishable items - such as canned goods, pasta, rice and peanut butter - next to their mailboxes before their regular mail delivery on Saturday.
Letter carriers will collect the donations along their routes for distribution to local food banks.
This year's drive has attracted increased community support, according to the release.
The Northwest Washington Central Labor Council, UFCW 3000 and Christ the King Community Church have signed on as partners to expand outreach and participation.
Students from Western Washington University are also participating through their student worker union, where they will help sort, transport and distribute donations.
The drive's local impact has grown steadily, the release states.
In 2024, volunteers collected 21,509 pounds of food in Mount Vernon and 9,387 pounds in Burlington and Sedro-Woolley.
By 2025, those totals climbed to 22,974 pounds in Mount Vernon and 13,428 pounds in Burlington and Sedro-Woolley, according to organizers.
All food collected stays in the Skagit Valley. According to the release, donations are distributed to local organizations, including Neighbors in Need and Helping Hands.
"Our community continues to show up in powerful ways for neighbors in need," Christopher Tharp, a Mount Vernon letter carrier in Mount Vernon and chair of the organizing committee, said in the release. "With the added support from labor, faith, and student organizations, we're expecting this year's food drive to make an even greater impact."
For more information or to volunteer, contact Tharp at 360-982-1840.
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