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NALC National Food Drive
The 315,000 member National Association of Letter Carriers represents city delivery letter carriers in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions.
In 1991, the NALC, in cooperation with the United States Postal Service and the AFL-CIO, conducted a ten-city pilot
program as a "first step" in developing a coordinated, same-day, nationwide food drive. Over 290 tons of food was collected in the 1991 pilot drive in those ten cities. The drive was not held in 1992.
In 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers' National Food Drive was expanded to 220 NALC branches covering more than 1,000 communities--at least one branch in each of the 50 states. A record 12 million pounds (6,000) tons of non-perishable food donations were collected by letter carriers.
The NALC and its president Vincent R. Sombrotto--through Drew Von Bergen, Director of Public Relations and a member of United Way of America's National Labor Advisory Committee--invited United Way of America (UWA) to become a partner in this endeavor along with the U.S. Postal Service and the AFL-CIO. UWA accepted and joined the effort, becoming a full partner in 1994.
In 1994, letter carriers from nearly 800 local branches in nearly 4,000 cities and towns collected, with the cooperation of the U.S. Postal Service, the AFL-CIO and UWA, over 32 million pounds of non-perishable food donations, almost tripling the record collection of 12 million pounds in 1993. In 1995 and 1996, 45 million pounds of food were collected from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions by more than 1,200 NALC local branches. Thousands of non-affiliated rural carriers also pitched in. The food was delivered to community food banks, pantries and shelters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. In 1997, all previous records were shattered! Letter carriers from more than 1,400 NALC local branches collected more than 73 million pounds of non-perishable food donations.
The letter carriers seventh annual National Food Drive in 1999 delivered more than 58.5 million pounds of food to local food banks in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions. NALC President Vincent Sombrotto said 1,460 union branches and other entities collected food. Prime sponsors of the drive were the NALC, the U.S. Postal Service and local United Ways.
UWA endorses the drive at the national level, and encourages local United Ways to use their marketing skills and media connections to publicize and promote the drive.
The simplicity and efficiency of the drive is what makes it work: the food drive is held annually on the second Saturday in May; announced and advertised via fliers, press conferences, various media. Etc.; donations are collected in participating communities by letter carriers along their scheduled mail routes; the food is taken back to the respective postal substations; and distributed to community food banks, pantries and shelters at a time when the shelves at many of these agencies become
depleted from end-of-the-year holidays.
The national drive has quickly become the world's largest one-day food drive.
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