MARTY TO STAMP OUT HUNGER

BP MARKOWITZ TO TEAM UP WITH POSTAL SERVICE, FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY TO "STAMP OUT HUNGER"

39 Percent of Brooklynites Experience Difficulty Affording Needed Food

NOON

MONDAY, MAY 2

BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL

209 JORALEMON STREET

BETWEEN COURT & ADAMS STREETS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

On Monday, May 2, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will host the kickoff of Brooklyn's "Stamp Out Hunger!" campaign at Borough Hall. The letter carriers of Brooklyn, in conjunction with the United States Postal Service, have joined forces with Food Bank for New York City as part of the National Association of Letter Carriers' (NALC) "Stamp Out Hunger!" effort. The food drive will culminate on Saturday, May 14, which will mark the nation's largest single-day food drive.

During the week of May 9 - May 14, everyone can help "Stamp Out Hunger!" in Brooklyn by making a delivery of non-perishable food items, such as canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice, at their local post office. All food donations will be repacked by the Food Bank and redistributed to community and emergency food programs to help families in need.

In Brooklyn: 

• 39 percent of Brooklyn residents experienced difficulty affording needed food in 2010 
• 48 percent of Brooklyn residents would not be able to afford food within three months of losing their household income
• In 2010, 26 percent of Brooklyn residents had to choose between paying for food and rent/mortgage (which is higher than the city average of 23 percent)
• There are more than 300 emergency food programs--approximately one-third of the 1,000 programs throughout New York City that are served by the Food Bank For New York City
• Emergency Food Programs currently provide food to more than 500,000 people annually