The second Saturday in May is USPS Letter Carriers’ annual STAMP OUT HUNGER Food Drive.

It is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, having collected over a billion pounds of food since it began in 1993. Many local communities are taking part and residents of Spring Valley will receive postcards asking them to participate.

The goal this year is to collect 2,000 pounds of food to benefit Hall Township Food Pantry, which serves over 1,000 people a month. These clients reside in not only in Spring Valley, but also in Arlington, Bureau, Cherry, Dalzell, DePue, Hollowayville, Ladd and Seatonville.

On Saturday, May 9, volunteers will be headquartered at the Food Pantry (500 N. Terry St.), as well as following carriers collecting donations. Please put groceries by your mailbox or on your front porch early as volunteers will drive around and collect groceries beginning at 9 am. (Think you’ve been missed? Call the Pantry at 815-663-2085 and someone will run over.)

Though this is a career project in the Valley, volunteers from Hall Twp. Food Pantry happily assists carriers in the collection of the food items. All residents in our giving area can drop off donations at the Pantry on Saturday morning – or before Tuesday, the 12th, when official counts must be turned in.

“School will soon be out for the summer,” said Jan Martin, Hall Twp. Food Pantry director, “which always means an increase in the number of families coming to the pantry.”

The non-perishable food items most requested are cereal, pasta, rice, canned meals (soups, chili, pasta), jelly, pudding/fruit cups, macaroni & cheese cups, and pasta sides.