For the 27th year in a row Salina letter carriers will join in a nationwide effort to help “Stamp Out Hunger”.

On Saturday carriers will collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 letter carrier branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved.

To donate, just place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail. The carrier will do the rest.

With 49 million people facing hunger every day in America, including nearly 16 million children, this drive is one way you can help.

Lat year 71.6 million pounds of food was collected. The 2018 food drive marked the 15th consecutive year that the combined efforts of letter carriers, partners and volunteers have resulted in the collection of more than 70 million pounds of food.

Salina letter carriers are a part of the effort. Last year Salina letter carriers collected 28,000 pounds of food.

Along with collecting food on Saturday, an event is planned on Friday as well. To kick-off the local event Friday, there will be free doughnuts in the morning and hot dogs in the afternoon. Cash and food donations may also be dropped off at the post office Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

On Saturday help is needed at the food bank and the dock at the Post Office to help sort the bags of food that come in.  Help needed time for the food bank is 12-6pm , the Post Office dock is 10:00am to 5:00pm.

The “Stamp Out Hunger” effort is the largest single-day food drive in the United States.