Editorial: ‘Stamp out’ hunger is letter carriers’ aim

Tuesday, May 8, 2001 | 9:27 a.m.

In the 10 years that letter carriers in the Las Vegas Valley have conducted their annual food drives, they have collected more than 3 million pounds of food for needy families. Nationwide this drive also has been successful -- for instance, last year alone there were 64 million pounds of food collected in the country. This Saturday the Las Vegas branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers will undertake its 11th annual food collection drive -- it is hoped that Las Vegans will be just as generous as in past years.

The food drive's convenience is a major contributor for the public support it receives. All that residents have to do is leave a can of food or other nonperishable food products by their mailboxes. From there the letter carriers do the rest, collecting the food so that it makes its way to a variety of charitable organizations and food banks.

Las Vegas' robust economy has enabled so many to prosper, but not everyone has shared in this good fortune, as some people have fallen on hard times. Charitable organizations and religious groups try to fill the void by offering meals for the needy, but these groups can't do it alone. So this Saturday please leave some non- perishable food items near your mailbox. This rather simple act of generosity might not take too much effort on behalf of the donor, but it does so much to feed the hungry in this city.