Local residents will have a chance to “stamp out hunger” in the annual event sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers in conjunction with the Postal Service.

The event, which is held to help feed families in all 50 states, will be held Sat., May 8.

“All they need to do is leave their food by their mailbox, in some sort of sack, but they don’t actually have to put it in the mailbox,” Andalusia Post Office supervisor Denise Williamson said.

On this day, letter carriers will collect non-perishable food items as they pick-up and deliver mail. All donations will remain within the community.

“We donate all food collected to charities here,” Williamson said. “We usually donated to the Christian Service Center or Open Heaven Ministries. We have donated to the Red Cross.”

Recommended donations include canned meats, fish, soup, juice and vegetables, pasta, cereal and rice.

“We will make a difference in helping to feed America’s hunger and surpass the 2009 record of 73.4 million pounds of food collected,” Postmaster General Jack Potter said.

-Kendra Bolling

“The generosity of our customers and the determination of our employees have never been stronger.”

Donations from this year’s event are expected to push the overall total since the annual drive began 18 years ago to more than one billion pounds.