Mail Carriers Help Feed 160,000 Through Summer Hunger Gap

When holiday giving ends, hunger doesn't. That's why volunteers in Carmel and Westfield, Indiana, spent 1,000 hours preparing for a single Saturday that will feed their community for months.

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive happens every May 9th. Letter carriers collect nonperishable food left by mailboxes and deliver it straight to local food banks.

For Open Doors of Washington Township Pantry, this one day changes everything. "This will bring in enough food that will get us through the summer months, into the fall, into the Thanksgiving season," said Kurt Wanninger, the pantry's Vice President of Operations.

The numbers tell the story of community commitment. Volunteers prepared 60,000 bags and postcards for residents, up from just 8,000 when the program started locally in 2005.

On collection day, 40 volunteers sort donations at the Carmel post office for four to six hours. Another 80 volunteers unload delivery trucks at the Open Doors warehouse.

Then the real work begins. Over the next two months, 200 to 300 more volunteers date and organize every donation to ensure food moves efficiently to families who need it.

Mail carrier Greg Gormong coordinates the effort in Carmel. He watches postal workers transform their daily routes into lifelines, picking up canned goods, peanut butter, and cereal alongside regular mail.

The Ripple Effect

The impact spreads far beyond one food bank. Open Doors shares surplus donations with Shepherd's Gate Food Pantry, Mama's Cupboard in Sheridan, and Harvest Food Bank, multiplying the reach across the region.

Churches, businesses, Lions Club, Rotary Club, and National Charity League members all contribute time. Meijer donates the grocery bags that make it possible.

Volunteer coordinator and retired financial manager Peterson sees firsthand why it matters. "Not everybody is well-employed and has a good family and health situations and housing situations," he said. "It really makes me feel good that people can be fed."

The 34-year-old national program, founded by the National Association of Letter Carriers, runs in communities across America. It bridges the hunger gap that opens when winter generosity fades but summer needs remain.

One Saturday, thousands of volunteers, and months of meals prove that good neighbors show up when it counts.