EVERETT — When Snohomish County letter carriers traverse their regular routes Saturday, they’ll have an extra task. They’ll collect bright yellow bags of food and load them into their trucks, all while delivering mail.
Preparation for the 32nd annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is underway. The national event is the largest single-day food drive in the country. Over the past week, Snohomish County residents should have received their donation bag in the mail.
Those wishing to donate can fill the bag — or any container — with nonperishable food items and leave it near their mailbox.
All of the food goes to Snohomish County food banks. This year, food banks are looking for proteins — such as peanut butter, canned chicken and canned tuna — baby food, diapers and canned soup. Donors should make sure any items are not close to expiring. Food banks are also seeking allergy-friendly foods, such as gluten-free bread and almond butter. People should have their bags ready as early as possible for when the letter carrier arrives.
The Snohomish County National Association of Letter Carriers has been part of the food drive since the first-ever pilot drive in 1991. Since 1993, the drive has collected about 1.9 billion pounds of food nationwide.
“This is the letter carriers’ one day to be able to give back to the people that we serve on a daily basis, give back to our community that we’re out in every day,” said food drive coordinator Michelle Decker. “A lot of us really enjoy being able to participate on this day.”
Bob James, former president of the Snohomish County National Association of Letter Carriers, has been involved in the food drive since the start. In 2022, the food drive collected just under 158,000 pounds of food in Snohomish County.
“The people of Snohomish County have been very kind and generous as far as donations,” James said. “I think a lot of people believe that it’s something that we need to do for those that aren’t quite as fortunate as the rest of us.”
The drive is particularly important this year, James said, as actions at the federal level cause uncertainty for local food banks.
In March, the United States Department of Agriculture canceled a $4.7 million food delivery to Washington state. The cancellation came after the department cut two programs that provided funding for schools and food banks to buy food from local farmers. About $22.3 million would have gone to Washington.
In 2022, more than 80,000 Snohomish County residents were food insecure, according to data from Feeding America. About half of those residents are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, which is also under threat.
The food drive takes place each year on the second Saturday in May. By this time of year, many food banks have started to run out of donations from the holiday season.
The Snohomish County National Association of Letter Carriers partners with a number of local organizations each year for the food drive, including United Way of Snohomish County.
Charlotte Murry, United Way of Snohomish County board chair, said local food banks have become more involved recently because of their funding difficulties. They’ve been sending more volunteers to help out on the day of the food drive, she said.
“This food stays local,” she said, “and our food banks are really hurting right now, especially not being able to have the dollars to go out and buy food in bulk.”
Food banks are also concerned about how President Donald Trump’s tariff plans could impact food costs, Murry said.
“I don’t think anybody really knows where all this is going and it’s going to take some time to play out,” James said. “We just have to do the best that we can and help our neighbors and the community survive this.”
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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