The ‘Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger’ Food Drive returns

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - According to Feed America, a projected 42 million people experienced food insecurity in the United States in 2021.

Saturday, letter carriers across the QCA collected donated non-perishable food items for the 30th annual ‘Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger’ Food Drive.

“It’s the largest one-day food drive in the country,” said Tony Bultinck, a letter carrier for the Rock Island post office. “It’s the perfect time of the year for this drive because schools are going to be getting out pretty soon and a lot of kids depend on that early, before-school breakfast and lunch, and without school, not a lot of kids are going to get those meals, so the food banks are going to need this, need all of this, in the next couple of weeks.”

The food drive has been canceled for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We at United Way are honored to, once again, join our partners in organized labor to address hunger, a barrier that can hold back Quad Citizens from reaching their full potential,” said Marci Zogg, vice president of community impact at United Way Quad Cities.

“I think it is extremely important this year, and probably more than any other year,” said Gregg Johnson, a volunteer. “With the rate of inflation, there are more people hurting, even from past years. It’s extremely important that we are out here serving the community, and serving the needs of everybody out here.”

All of the donated food in the Quad Cities will go to the River Bend Food Bank in Davenport.

“This is about the time when food banks start running low on food, and we are just building it back up for them,” Bultinck said.

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Johnson said. “We are always supposed to be looking out for each other. In these days, and in these times that we’ve been through these last couple of years, days like this are more important than they have ever been.”

According to United Way Quad Cities, the food drive has raised 1.67 billion pounds of food over the last 30 years.