South Jersey Food Bank Seeks Donations For Stamp Out Hunger Drive

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is asking residents in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties to take part in this year’s National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 9.

People in those counties can leave bags of non-perishable food donations by their mailboxes that day for mail carriers to pick up.

According to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Stamp Out Hunger is now in its 33rd year and is the nation’s largest one-day food drive. The organization said donations collected in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties will directly benefit its work feeding people in need.

The FoodBank described the need as significant across the state and in South Jersey. According to the organization, nearly 1.1 million people in New Jersey are food insecure, including more than 70,000 people in South Jersey. Last year, the drive brought in nearly 140,000 pounds of food for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, which the organization said was enough to feed more than 116,000 neighbors in need for a full day.

CFBNJ distributes food through a network of more than 800 local community partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, mobile pantries, and child and senior nutrition programs. Last year alone, the FoodBank distributed enough food for more than 90 million nutritious meals, according to the organization.

“The prices of necessities have skyrocketed and so has the need for food assistance. Public support for food drives like Stamp Out Hunger is more critical than ever before,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “We appreciate the National Association of Letter Carriers, the participating post offices, the hardworking letter carriers who make the drive possible, and everyone who donates food to help put meals on our neighbors’ tables.”

The FoodBank said the most-needed non-perishable items include canned fish and meat such as tuna, chicken and ham, shelf-stable milk, boxed meals including pasta, cereal, rice and potatoes, canned and packaged meals such as mac and cheese, chili and soups, peanut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables.

Residents outside Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties can visit NALC.org and enter their ZIP codes to see whether their local post offices are taking part. In the three South Jersey counties, donations collected during the May 9 drive will benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.