Mail Carrier Food Drive set for Saturday; Put your donation by the box

May 7

Written By Columbia Community Connection

File Photo -Aaron Jallen, Postal worker in The Dalles in 2025 holding some nice donations for the community. The National Letter Carrier Food Drive is on Saturday, May 9.

From Columbia Gorge Food Bank:

By Leah Hall

The Dalles, Ore., May 7, 2026 — This Saturday, May 9th, community members across the Columbia Gorge have an easy opportunity to make a meaningful difference: leave a bag of nonperishable food near their mailbox, and their letter carrier will do the rest.

The National Association of Letter Carriers' (NALC) Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive — the largest single-day food drive in the country — takes place annually on the second Saturday in May. All donations collected in Wasco and Sherman Counties will go directly to the Columbia Gorge Food Bank, and all donations collected in Hood River County will be delivered to FISH Food Bank.

"We are currently experiencing lower-than-usual food supplies, and community support means more than ever right now," said Leah Hall, Community Philanthropy Manager at Columbia Gorge Food Bank. "This drive couldn't be easier to participate in — and every single donation makes a real difference for our neighbors across the Gorge."

How to Participate:

Place a bag of nonperishable, unexpired food items near your mailbox on Saturday, May 9th.
Your letter carrier will collect it during their regular mail route.
Donations are delivered to the Columbia Gorge Food Bank and FISH Food Bank to help feed local families in need.

Suggested items include canned vegetables, canned proteins, peanut butter, pasta, rice, and other shelf-stable foods. Please ensure all items are unexpired and in undamaged packaging.

For more information about the NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit nalc.org/food-drive. For more information about Columbia Gorge Food Bank, visit columbiagorgefoodbank.org.

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ABOUT Columbia Gorge Food Bank

Columbia Gorge Food Bank is a Regional Food Bank, directly supporting hunger relief efforts in Sherman, Wasco, and Hood River Counties. We are a member of the Oregon Food Bank Network, connecting statewide food resources to our local community of pantries and partners. At Columbia Gorge Food Bank, we hold people experiencing hunger and food insecurity at the center of our actions and decisions. We envision a community where each person can participate, prosper and have access to food that is both nourishing and culturally relevant. Our food distribution programs aim to build a society where everyone can thrive – celebrating our differences and working together to overcome injustices that might divide us …because no one should be hungry.