The National Association of Letter Carriers and National Rural Letter Carriers Association of Austin announced the 19th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive to be Saturday, May 12.

They will hold the drive in conjunction with the national carrier food drive conducted each year during the second Saturday in May. Nationally, this is the 20th consecutive year the NALC has held a food drive. In those 20 years, letter carriers have collected more than a billion pounds of food for the hungry. Last year, locally, the organization collected more than 12,000 pounds from citizens in Mower County.

To participate, area residents can place nonperishable food items in bags or boxes near their mailboxes for carriers or volunteers to pick up. The NALC will then get the food to the Salvation Army.

This year volunteers from the Austin Jaycees, National Honor Society, and residents of Gerards plan on assisting postal carriers in collecting and organizing the donations. To ensure all food donated is collected, have food out at the mailbox by 9 a.m. However, if that is inconvenient, carriers will collect the food on Friday or Monday, as well. This is a rain or shine event. Donations can be left at the Salvation Army or the Post Office, as well.

This is a countywide food drive and those in rural areas of Mower County should check with their local post offices on how to donate. In the past, carriers from the Rose Creek, Adams, Lyle, LeRoy, Racine, and Dexter area have participated. All food collected in those communities stays with their local food shelves.