Volunteers unload food collected during the Stamp Out Hunger drive, which makes it easy to help needy families. (Photo courtesy of Be Concerned)

Covington pantries desperate to replenish shelves thru Postal carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger event

COVINGTON, Ky. – Set canned goods and other non-perishable food items by your mailbox on Saturday, and you will help three agencies in Covington who make sure low-income families get enough to eat.

Postal carriers will pick up the food and deliver it to one of seven nonprofits that provide food to people who desperately need it, including three who operate in Covington -- Be Concerned: The People's Pantry. Action Ministries, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Nothern Kentucky.

The effort by National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 374 is part of the national Stamp Out Hunger drive, the largest such event in the United States. Last year, Branch 374 carriers collected more than 22,300 lbs. of food in Northern Kentucky, although that was down from previous years.

The food is desperately needed, said Andy Brunsman, executive director of Be Concerned, which provided free food to almost 8,500 people in 2022, up 48 percent from 2021. Food supplies from holiday donations have been depleted, and the drive gives agencies an opportunity to replenish their shelves.

“Summer time is a slow time for donations because schools are out,” Brunsman said. “This drive helps to fill the void caused by summer break, and with the economy the way it is, we are helping record numbers of families.”

The other agencies who will benefit and distribute food outside Covington are Brighton Center’s Newport pantry, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newport, and Pantry of Hope and CARE Mission in Alexandria.

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