Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive returns to Tampa Bay to support families in need

Residents prepare for Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is happening this Saturday. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy breaks down what local organizations are collecting ahead of the event.

TAMPA, Fla. - Metropolitan Ministries is once again partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers for the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive this weekend.

The event, recognized as the nation’s largest one-day food drive, returns Saturday, May 9. For the ninth consecutive year, Metropolitan Ministries will partner with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and is an official beneficiary. Donations collected throughout the Tampa Bay Area stay within the community to feed local residents.

Dig deeper:

Since the partnership began, Metropolitan Ministries has received more than 520,000 pounds of food through the initiative, a total value exceeding $1.5 million. The NALC has conducted the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive for more than 30 years.

The timing of the drive is critical for regional hunger relief efforts. Organizers noted that food insecurity often spikes during the summer months when children lose access to free or reduced-price school meals.

"Requests for food from our Metro pantries skyrocket after May," James Dunbar, Metropolitan Ministries Vice President of Outreach, Prevention and Community Partnership, said. "The food collected during Stamp Out Hunger will help us meet that need."

To participate, residents are encouraged to place a sturdy bag of nonperishable food items next to their mailboxes before their regular mail delivery on Saturday. Outreach officials suggested that shoppers utilize buy one, get one (BOGO) deals at grocery stores as a cost-effective way to pay it forward to neighbors in need.

"This is an incredible event," Dr. Sarah Combs, President and CEO, Metropolitan Ministries, said. "We're seeing a huge increase in need not just from our seniors, but also from our families.. Allowing us to be able to stock our shelves so we can make sure that we're feeding those families as well as our seniors in our community is just incredible."

How to Donate

To ensure the safety and quality of donations, organizers have provided the following guidelines for contributors:

Most needed items include:

• Canned meat (tuna, chicken, salmon)
• Peanut butter and beans
• Boxed cereal, rice and pasta
• Canned vegetables and fruit

Organizers point out that some donations should be avoided.

Items to avoid include:

• Expired or perishable foods
• Glass containers
• Rusty, unlabeled or dented cans
• Homemade or non-commercially packaged items
• Alcoholic beverages, soda or opened packages

The accepted donations will support local food banks such as Metropolitan Ministries.