Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Returns Amid USDA Cuts to Local Food Aid

May 8

Written By Columbia Community Connection

Photo of Aaron Jallen, Postal worker in The Dalles

Get your groceries to the mailbox on Saturday, May 10

By Joshuah Albert

The Dalles, Ore., May 8, 2025 – As the community prepares for the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive on Saturday, May 10, local food banks are grappling with significant federal funding cuts that threaten to exacerbate food insecurity in the Columbia Gorge region.

“It’s more important now than ever to learn about the food bank and to get more involved with the food drive,” said Yahaira Alvarez with the Columbia Gorge Food Bank in The Port of The Dalles. “Its a great time to help us combat food insecurity.”

The nationwide event, organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, encourages residents to place bags of non-perishable food donations by their mailboxes before regular delivery on Saturday. Letter carriers will collect the items and deliver them to the Columbia Gorge Food Bank, which serves Sherman, Wasco, and Hood River counties.

Participation is simple:

Collect non-perishable food items such as canned goods, dry pasta, or rice.
Place the items in a sturdy bag.
Set the bag next to your mailbox before your usual mail delivery on May 10.

No postage is required - LOL - and the Postal Service will handle pickup and distribution.

This year's drive comes at a critical time. The Columbia Gorge Food Bank is facing a loss of 250,000 pounds of food annually due to recent cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The cuts stem from the cancellation of funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation, affecting programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.

“These cuts primarily affect programs funded through the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation,” said Breen Goodwin, executive director of the Columbia Gorge Food Bank. “We hear from our community members that they are already struggling. With less food, it’s harder to feed families, and it is more challenging for them to make ends meet in other ways.”

The Columbia Gorge Food Bank, located in The Port of The Dalles, is part of the Oregon Food Bank Network and connects statewide food resources to 35 local pantries and partners. The loss of USDA commodities, which make up about 17 percent of the total food distributed