Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Collects Nearly 3,300 Pounds of Food in Ross County

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Chillicothe, OH — The 2026 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive brought together postal carriers, community volunteers, and local organizations across Ross County to support residents facing food insecurity. This year’s effort resulted in the collection of nearly 3,300 pounds of donated food, all of which remained in Ross County to support local families.

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, led nationally by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), is now in its 34th year. Held annually on the second Saturday in May, the event spans 10,000 cities and towns across all 50 states. Since its launch, NALC letter carriers have collected more than 1.94 billion pounds of food nationwide, demonstrating their long‑standing commitment to addressing hunger in America.

Local need remains high, according to Feeding America, 16% of Ross County residents are food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to enough nutritious food. That translates to approximately 12,400 individuals, including children, seniors, and working families, who face uncertainty about where their next meal will come from.

With grocery, fuel, and utility costs continuing to rise, many households are forced to make difficult choices. Community food drives like Stamp Out Hunger help ease that burden by ensuring food remains available to those who need it most.

United Way volunteers strengthen local efforts to support the work of local mail carriers. The United Way of Ross County coordinated volunteers to ensure no donated food was left behind along postal routes. Volunteers joined in from Hope Clinic, the Mayor’s Office, AEP, OUC, the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library, and United Way, who worked side‑by‑side with NALC carriers throughout the day.

“All food collected in Ross County stays in Ross County,” United Way officials emphasized. Donations were distributed to local churches, food pantries, and community blessing boxes, ensuring that organizations committed to fighting hunger could immediately restock their shelves.

A community effort with lasting impact, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive continues to be the largest single‑day food collection event in the nation. In Ross County, the collaboration between postal carriers and community volunteers reflects a shared commitment to ensuring neighbors do not face hunger alone. United Way of Ross County expressed gratitude to the residents of Ross County for donating food, the NALC, the U.S. Postal Service, and the many volunteers who made the 2026 drive a success.