RIFA and postal workers team up to ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ May 11

JACKSON, Tenn. — It might be the easiest community service project you ever do. All you do is open your pantry door, look for some nonperishable food, put them in a bag and place them next to your mailbox. Your mail carrier will pick it up Saturday, May 11 when they come to get your mail.

The Regional Inter-Faith Association in Jackson expects to take in about 15,000 pounds of food in this drive. That is extremely important to the community.

“In 2018, over 497,000 meals were distributed through RIFA,” Lindsay Dawkins, Marketing and Events Coordinator at RIFA, said. 

They serve even more meals during the summer when kids are out of school.

“Summer months are harder for food banks, because they see a decline in donations,” Dawkins said.

When you pick out what you want to donate, what do you choose?

“Canned vegetables, canned meat, canned fruit, mac and cheese, cereal, things like that,” Dawkins said.

But if RIFA had their choice, “Some easy things, as far as snack backpack, canned soups, chicken noodle soup is a great one. Ravioli with the pop tops, popcorn, peanut butter is a great option.”

Dawkins also wants to thank the postal workers, who put this all together.

“They go through a lot of extra work to be able to help RIFA help the community to feed the hungry,” Dawkins said.