Hunger exists even in communities of abundance. In this eye-opening conversation, we discover that one in four households in Henderson County face food insecurity - a shocking statistic that challenges our perceptions about prosperity in Western North Carolina.

The nationwide Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, offers a remarkably accessible solution. On the second Saturday of May, letter carriers collect non-perishable food donations from mailboxes across America, creating the largest single-day food collection event in the country. Last year, Henderson County residents donated a staggering 40,000 pounds of food - outperforming neighboring Buncombe County despite having a significantly smaller population.

Representatives from three vital nonprofits - Captain Sherry Stokes from The Salvation Army, Stephanie Walton from IAM Ministries, and Lynn Staggs from Henderson County Storehouse - explain how this massive influx of donations sustains their operations throughout the year. For the Salvation Army alone, this single day provides one-third of their annual food pantry inventory.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when letter carrier Arcavia Smith shares her personal story. Before becoming a mail carrier, her family lost everything in a house fire. The support they received from a food bank during that crisis gave her a firsthand understanding of food insecurity that now fuels her passion for this annual drive. Her story reminds us that hunger can affect anyone, at any time, through circumstances beyond their control.

The need has only increased since Hurricane Helene, with organizations seeing more first-time clients than ever before. From seniors choosing between medication and meals to families struggling after losing jobs to flooding, the face of hunger in our community is diverse and often invisible.

Want to make a difference? Simply leave non-perishable food items by your mailbox on Saturday, May 10th. Your donation stays local, feeding your neighbors in need. Because in a community where both prosperity and poverty exist side by side, we all have the power to help stamp out hunger.