Thousands of pounds of food are being sorted and weighed at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, thanks to generous donations from local residents through the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, but donations are still encouraged.
“We are so thankful for the generosity of our neighbors here in Chattanooga,” said Jen Ferking, Food Drive coordinator at the Food Bank. “This drive means so much to us and we hope those who forgot about the drive this weekend will still consider giving this week.”
Donations of non-perishable food items can still be made at local post offices through the end of the business day on Tuesday. Collection barrels are located inside the post office lobbies. Donations of food items, as well as monetary donations, are always accepted at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and on Fridays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest one-day food drive and is an important source of food for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank this time of year, when inventories from holiday giving have been depleted. Letter carriers in the greater Chattanooga area picked up food donations on Saturday during their regular mail routes and delivered them all to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. Donations of both food and money poured into local post offices Saturday afternoon and ranged from small bags to large boxes full of food.
For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive in greater Chattanooga, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com or www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, and follow the drive at www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.