Your local postal letter carrier is also your path to helping your local food pantry this weekend.
The 26th annual "Stamp Out Hunger" drive is set for Saturday across the nation. U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Sean Hargadon says the collection has grown every year...
"....this is the 26th annual 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive. So far, they've collected 1.5 billion pounds of food since it started in 1993. This Saturday we're going to be asking residents, whether they're at a business or at a home,apartment complex, whatever, to put out non-perishable food items so we can get those items to the local food pantries to help people in need....."
Hargadon says the letter carriers will be accepting non-perishable items...
"....non-perishable food items such as canned soup, canned vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, rice or cereal...next to the mailbox preferably in the morning so when the carriers go around they can pick that up without a problem....."
A bag was left at most mailboxes this week, but Hargadon says find a study bag or box and leave it by your mailbox. Hargadon says they have many volunteers who help out at the local offices. The volunteers sort and organize the food that goes to the local pantries.
Hargadon says it's the largest one-day drive in America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 50 million Americans, about one of six people, are considered food insecure.
