The National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive will take place this Saturday, May 8.

This is the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

The national “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive started 18 years ago.

This year’s donations will push the overall total to more than 1 billion pounds of food collected.

The drive is held in conjunction with the United States Postal Service, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association and the National Association of Letter Carriers.

This marks the 10th year the Dowagiac Post Office has participated in the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.

Last year’s local donations exceeded 7,000 pounds.

This year food donations are needed more than ever due to the struggling economy.

All donations are kept in the community and distributed to local food banks.

You can help by placing your non-perishable food donations at your mailbox on May 8 before your letter carrier arrives with the day’s mail.

Donations are then taken to the Post Office, sorted and weighed by volunteers and distributed to several local food banks at St. Vincent DePaul, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, First Christian Church and Keeler Church of God.