Annual food drive draws thousands of donations
The 22nd annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive wrapped up Saturday in Columbia.
The Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri told ABC 17 News it received donations of 44,000 pounds of food. About $25,000 cash was also donated during the event.
The food bank teamed again with the United States Postal Service mail carriers for the drive.
According to the organization, the timing of the drive was crucial because of a lull in donations after heavy donation season around Thanksgiving and Christmas. It noted more than 49 million Americans – or one in six – did not know where their next meal would come from.
Nationwide, the drive raised about $1 billion since it started 21 years ago.
