Cape Coral residents can take part in the nation’s largest food drive next weekend, with donated goods staying right here in Southwest Florida. 

On May 10, the United States Postal Service will collect non-perishable food items at mailboxes, where letter carriers or volunteer drivers will pick up the food and deliver it to the local post office as part of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. From there, volunteers will unload and pre-sort donations for delivery to local food pantries. 

Locally the Harry Chapin Food Bank, the Midwest Food Bank, as well as other food banks and their partner agencies will collect and deliver the food to our neighbors in need.

Doug Fairleigh is the Cape Coral volunteer driver coordinator for the food drive, and said the last few years, donations haven’t reached numbers they have seen is the past. 

“USPS has been doing this for over 30 years,” he said. “While it’s nationwide, many areas of the country don’t participate for logistical reasons. The food drive here benefits the five-county region of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry. All food donated stays in the area to help local families. This is a very important time of year to help out. With school out for the summer, kids won’t have their school lunch programs. With the slow season upon us, parents in the service industry, small businesses, etcetera, won’t have the ‘seasonal’ income that they might have had when it was busier. Coupled with the higher costs of living it’s getting very difficult to make ends meet for way too many of our neighbors.”

According to HCFB, one in eight people are food insecure in the region, including one in six children. More than 50% of seniors have to choose each month whether to buy food, medicine, or other necessities with their limited incomes. Families struggle year ’round, but with the “slow season” and kids out of school, the need is even greater now.

“Harry Chapin Food Bank and Midwest Food Bank are invaluable resources,” Fairleigh said. “Together they supply millions of pounds of food each year to families in the five-county region either directly, or through their hundreds of partner agencies. I’ve had the honor of helping distribute food at HCFB’s local food pantries.” 

Every week, at every location, HCFB hands out meat, produce, non-perishable goods to hundreds of families.  

“What breaks your heart is when you run out because donations have been low and there are still dozens of people in line,” Fairleigh said. “We have to find a way to fix that. I remember the food drive of 2009. We were in the midst of the Great Recession and people had lost thousands. We were anticipating a bleak year. What I found most heartening was that the central Cape Coral area, where most of the original or earlier homes are located, were the largest givers. Some homes had several boxes of food by their mailbox, it was amazing.

“Every time I’ve explained how a neighbor, who looks and acts and dresses just like them, could be the one in need of some food assistance, they almost always offer to help in whatever way they can. We are surrounded by really ‘good’ people, they just need to know how they can help. On May 10, they can find out.”

In 2024, HCFB distributed nearly 40 million pounds of food through its 175 partner agencies, including 18.4 million in Lee County. Volunteers provided 79,000 hours of service. 

Harry Chapin Food Bank, Midwest Food Bank, and United Way are looking for volunteer sorters and drivers. “https://x.gldn.io/e/ywQzLYeWySb” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Sign up with Midwest Food Bank at either the Tice or North Fort Myers Post Office locations. Sign up with Harry Chapin Food Bank, click on “Volunteer” and then “Volunteer as an Individual.” Be a volunteer driver to pick-up food around the area, click on “Volunteer“. From the Volunteer Center search and sign up for the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.