Label
RIA: Letter Carriers Annual Food Drive
Councilmembers Sarantou, Hobbs, Gadus & Kramer
Title
Recognizing the National Association of Letter Carriers Annual Food Drive
Summary
WHEREAS, The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive is the result of a longstanding tradition of community service consistently demonstrated by members of the letter carriers union; and
WHEREAS, Letter carriers, who serve neighborhoods across the nation six days a week, have a history of responding when help is needed, whether through charitable fundraising efforts for organizations like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, participating in the Carrier Alert program to safeguard the elderly, assisting fellow carriers through the NALC Disaster Relief Fund, or even rescuing individuals from fires, crime, and other emergencies; and
WHEREAS, In 1991, a coordinated national effort to combat hunger in America emerged through the leadership of then-NALC President Vincent R. Sombrotto, AFL-CIO Community Services Director Joseph Velasquez, and Postmaster General Anthony Frank; a successful pilot food drive took place in October 1991 across 10 cities, which inspired the launch of a nationwide campaign; and
WHEREAS, Food banks and pantries identified late spring as a critical time for replenishment due to depleted holiday-season supplies, leading to the selection of the second Saturday in May as the annual date for the drive; and the first nationwide NALC Food Drive occurred on May 15, 1993, with the participation of more than 220 union branches across all 50 states, collecting over 11 million pounds of food in a single day-a U.S. record; and
WHEREAS, The NALC Food Drive has continued to grow, with letter carriers from coast to coast collecting donations while delivering mail, showcasing a powerful example of civic dedication and public service, and in the more than 30 years since its inception, the NALC Food Drive has amassed approximately 1.9 billion pounds of f...
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