Photos by Amanda Allen
Feeding America Southwest Virginia once again participated in the nation’s largest single day food drive. Held the second Saturday in May for the last 25 years, The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has collected more than 1.5 billion pounds of food since 1993.
Approximately 175,000 letter carriers nationwide collected donations that residents left by their mailboxes last Saturday. Tyler Hartman and his family were among the countless area residents to participate this year. “When our letter carrier came to the house, my family was playing basketball in the front yard,” he said. “We told him that today was going to be a great day and he agreed with a huge smile on his face.” Donation bags were provided by local Food Lion stores.
As marketing and communications coordinator for Feeding America Southwest Virginia, Amanda Allen’s responsibilities include sending out press releases and working on the company’s social media websites. “Stamp Out Hunger is an incredibly important food drive for Feeding America Southwest Virginia – it’s our largest food drive of the year! Generous donors contribute hundreds of thousands of pounds of food, which we then distribute throughout Southwest Virginia,” she said. “Another reason this drive is so important to us is timing. After the big rush of donations and we get around the holiday season, we tend to see things drop off a little.”
More than 150,000 people, including nearly 40,000 children, face hunger throughout the region. Maverick Abrams is fully aware of this which is why he makes a concerted effort to constantly give back to the less fortunate. “Obviously today is a great day because a lot of people are going to be fed due to people’s generosity,” he said. “At the same time, the buck can’t just stop here. Every week I get some friends together and we go to poverty stricken neighborhoods to give out food.”
Seventeen-year-old Nick Webster says that he wants to work for an organization like Feeding America Southwest Virginia after he graduates from college. “I’ve already been accepted to a few schools Virginia but I’m still applying,” he said. “Knowing that my donated goods will make a difference in someone’s life makes me want to do so much more. I have some ideas that I’m going to run by my parents.”
Amanda Allen says Feeding America Southwest Virginia is always in need for volunteers. “Volunteering at Feeding America Southwest Virginia is great fun – and we’ve got lots of opportunities,” she said. “Folks can visit our website atwww.faswva.org/volunteer to learn more. Or, they can always give us a call at 540.342.3011.”
