Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is May 13!

May 5, 2023

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is Saturday, May 13!

For the 31st year, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) is excited to hold the traditional Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 13.

 

Here in St. Cloud, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive supports both Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf and Salvation Army Food Shelf. Bernick’s, Custom Catering by Short Stop and Kwik Trip are the business sponsors for the area food drive.

 

For more than a decade, this nationwide drive has annually collected more than 70 million pounds of food. Over the course of its history, the food drive has collected 1.4 billion pounds of food to help feed our neighbors.

 

Hunger exists in every community in our country. Today, 1 in 5 families in the United States experience food insecurity and rely on food donations. Here in our state, a record-breaking 5.5 million visits were made to Minnesota food shelves in 2022.

 

No one can grow, maintain good health or reach their full potential if they are hungry. A surprising number of our neighbors are doing something they never imagined: visiting a food shelf for the first time in their lives. This includes working families, children, seniors and post-secondary students.

 

Please join NALC on the second Saturday in May for the 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the largest one-day food drive in the United States.


Participating is easy. Simply leave a bag of nonperishable food next to your mailbox on May 13, and your letter carrier will handle the rest. All donated food in the St. Cloud area stays within our community and helps Catholic Charities and Salvation Army food shelves.

 

Together, we can Stamp Out Hunger in America. Together with Catholic Charities, we can make a different tomorrow for Central Minnesotans experiencing food insecurity. Learn more at nalc.org/food-drive.

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In 2024, Rebecca and Daniel were facing a difficult reality: their home was in the foreclosure process. With Daniel recently diagnosed with a serious, terminal illness, Rebecca had become the primary financial provider while also caring for her husband and their disabled daughter. What began as a hopeful purchase of a home in 2022 quickly became a financial burden as life’s unexpected challenges took a heavy toll on their family. Overwhelmed and unsure of how to move forward, Rebecca and Daniel turned to Catholic Charities’ Financial and Housing Counseling program for help. After meeting with one of our experienced counselors, they gained a clear understanding of the foreclosure process in Minnesota, including available options and timelines. The first step was to assess their hardship and review their home’s affordability. Despite Rebecca’s best efforts to contact the mortgage company, the stress of managing multiple responsibilities made it difficult to complete the required paperwork. Our counselor worked directly with the mortgage company, helping Rebecca and Daniel fill out the necessary forms. As a result, they were offered a partial claim mortgage assistance program that allowed them to bring their mortgage current and stop the foreclosure. “I don’t have to worry about losing our home while dealing with Daniel’s healthcare needs,” Rebecca shared with relief. Our team also helped the family apply for energy assistance and connected them with additional social security resources, further supporting their financial recovery. Catholic Charities’ Financial and Housing Counseling program, available since 1982, has no income limits and provides expert guidance to anyone looking for assistance. As a licensed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provider, we are committed to helping individuals make informed financial decisions and build a secure future. Rebecca’s heartfelt gratitude says it best: “Many thanks to you, Lois, for everything you do for us!! God Bless You!”

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By Brittany Hoversten • July 1, 2025
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