Postal carriers will be trying to stamp out hunger this Saturday during their 26th annual National Association of Letter Carriers and Rural Carriers Food Drive.

The food drive is part of the “Stamp Out Hunger” national effort that has been an annual event since 1993. The drive has collected more than 1.5 billion pounds of food nationally. Last year’s drive collected 75 million pounds.

The Smithville Post Office will again be participating in the annual food drive but this year information cards will be placed in every residential mailbox instead of bags on May 8-9. The actual food pickup will be Saturday, May 12 when residents are asked to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food items next to their mailboxes. There will also be a cart placed in the lobby of the post office from May 8-12 where donations may be made.

Non-perishables include things like canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, peanut butter, rice or cereal.

Carriers will deliver the donated food items to local food banks, pantries or shelters in DeKalb County. For more information, call Roger Young at the Smithville Post Office at 615-597-4781.