Annual letter carrier food drive takes place Saturday

Published 2:15 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2026

EVERETT — Look out for a bright yellow bag in your mailbox this week as the 33rd annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive approaches.

The food drive — organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers — takes place each year on the second Saturday in May.

Letter carriers across the country, including in Snohomish County, collect nonperishable food donations as they deliver mail. The donations go directly to local food banks.

Since the beginning of the food drive in 1993, letter carriers have collected nearly 2 billion pounds of food nationwide, according to the National Association of Letter Carriers.

The food drive takes place in the spring to restock local food banks as donations from the holiday season begin to run low.

In Snohomish County, about 93,000 people experienced food insecurity in 2023, the latest year of data available through nonprofit Feeding America. That’s about 11% of the county’s population. Over the past year, local food banks have been dealing with increased demand amid uncertainty around food assistance programs on top of federal funding cuts.

To participate in the food drive, leave nonperishable food donations by your mailbox on Saturday using the provided bag or any container.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.