The Niles Post Office, 741 Broadway St., helped to collect more than 15,000 pounds of food by 3 p.m. Saturday during the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.

The national food drive is put on by the National Association of Letter Carriers. To contribute, those interested left food donations by their mailbox. Letter carriers picked up the food during their regular routes.

Salvation Army Volunteer Coordinator Tim Douglas, who helped to sort donations throughout the day at the post office, said it is the best donation turnout he has seen in two to three years.

“I am not the least bit unhappy,” Douglas said. “None of this would be possible without our volunteers. Now [those in need] will have food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

The donations will be divided among three local food pantries, the Salvation Army, St. Mary’s Christian Service Center and First Presbyterian Church. Volunteers from each organization showed up Saturday to help sort food and transport it to the pantries.

Coupled with donations received last week from Eastside Connections students, Douglas said he expects the food pantry to be stocked through July.

The Salvation Army offers those in need up to a week’s worth of groceries at a time. The amount of food received is based on family size.

The donations come at a time when most food pantries begin running low on food. The Salvation Army had recently been experiencing their own shortage of donations before the students’ contributions and the food drive.

For their part, postal carrier Johnny Hernandez said he believes good weather helped to influence people to get outside and donate this year.

Hernandez also thanked local restaurants who contributed donations.

“A big letter carrier hip-hip-hooray for the local Niles sponsor restaurants that donated on food drive day to help keep [food pantries] working,” Hernandez said.

Donations were expected to continue coming in until 5 p.m.

Major donations:

• Subway Restaurant

• KFC Restaurant

• Front St. Pizzeria

• Pizza Transit

• Milano’s Pizza