Danbury Prepares For Nation's Largest One-Day Food Drive: How To Help

DANBURY, CT — The largest one-day food drive in the U.S. is scheduled for Saturday, and it will be driving through Danbury mailboxes.

Each year, on the second Saturday in May, the National Association of Letter Carriers holds its Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. In addition to making sure the mail is delivered on time, postal workers will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries.

For many of those organizations, the anticipated windfall can be a make-or-break proposition.

"It will mean a lot to all of us agencies, as we are all experiencing higher client count than a year ago," Danbury Community Food Rescue's Linda Hutchings told Patch. "It is alarming how many new clients we are seeing!"

The volunteers at the community food rescue serve as a sort of food donation hub or clearing house for the city's pantries, distributing the goods equally among all the agencies in Danbury.

Last year, Hutchings estimates the volunteer organization took in just over 14,000 pounds of food. Pretty impressive for a one-day event, but still not as strong as it could have been. The rescue's sourcing manager reckons many local families missed the post cards notifying them of the annual pick-up.

Next year, she doesn't plan on taking any chances.

"It is not in the union's funding, so I will look for a grant to purchase bags. If you receive the post card and a bag, it will help remind people to donate," Hutchings said.

For Danbury residents looking to help out with the minimum, the ask could not be easier. Just leave your donation of non-perishable food in a bag near your mailbox on Saturday, and your letter carrier will do the rest. Those looking to go the extra nine yards can volunteer to meet the mail trucks when they return home to the 23 Backus Avenue Post Office for unloading and sorting duties from 2-5 p.m. There's more information on the food rescue's Facebook page here.