RENO -- Letter carriers across northern Nevada will be collecting food during their Saturday deliveries to help feed needy families.

The annual Help Stamp Out Hunger drive, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers, will have letter carriers from the Reno, Carson City, Fernley, Fallon, Sparks, Gardnerville, Yerington, Minden, Incline Village, Dayton, and Truckee CA Post Offices askings postal customers “to help the hungry”.

This is the nation’s largest one-day food drive. All food collected will go to America’s Harvest and Local Food Banks, which will make distribution to area families in need.

Customers should fill a plastic bag with food items and set it by their mailbox or take it to a local Post Office this Saturday, May 12^th for collection.

Food items should be non-perishable items, such as dried, canned and packaged products.  Items most needed by food banks are canned meats, soup, fruits and vegetables; and packaged non-perishables such as pasta, cereal, powdered milk and vegetables. Every 1.3 lbs. of food donated equates to one meal according to officials.

“This is all about the entire Postal Service coming together to help our neighbors,” said USPS Letter Carrier Mark Higgins who is one of the coordinators for the drive. “We see struggling people all around us and we’re counting on postal customers to step up, like they have in years past, to meet the ever-growing need.” Sparks Letter Carrier Scott Mahe also helps coordinate the drive. “This is all about neighbors helping neighbors. Every other day I deliver mail. But on this day, I get to deliver hope.”

In 2011, letter carriers and Post Offices collected 70 million pounds of food nationwide to support the hungry. Last year, Northern Nevada Post Offices collected nearly 300,000 pounds.

“The request for emergency food continues to rise” said Food Bank Public Relations Officer Jocyln Lantrip. “The community has always stepped in time of need. And now, we need them more then ever.”

Many area Post Office lobbies will also have food collection barrels or boxes set up in lobbies. 

This is the 20^th year of the annual postal food drive which started in 1993. Nearly a billion pounds of food have been collected by letter carriers and Post Offices over the years to feed America’s hungry. A total of 10,000 communities and Post Offices in all 50 states are participating this year.

Campbell Soup Company and its partners are producing post cards and shopping bags that will be delivered to more than 90 million homes across the country as a reminder to participate in the drive. In addition, Campbell will again support this year’s food collection effort by donating one million pounds of food to Feeding America.