The National Association of Letter Carriers' annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive gives residents a unique way to serve their community.
According to television station WNEP, mail carriers can leave canned goods by their mailbox for post workers to pick up and deliver to local food banks.
One letter carrier told WNEP that the food drive also allows school students to have something to eat when school is out for the summer.
"Once kids are done with school and we all know that sometimes, kids only get a good meal at school," Jeff Nichols said. "So now the letter carriers take pride in the fact that in May, we stock the food banks back up, and hopefully we carrying them into getting back to thanksgiving holiday."
The director of the Weinberg Food Bank told WNEP Pennsylvania's Luzerne County ranks among the top areas where residents need food the most.
"When you talk about food insecurity among all households, Luzerne County is actually one of the top five in the state," Rich Kutz said. "The recession hasn't quite recovered here in Luzerne County, so the need is still there.
Food drive organizers received over 74,000 pounds of food last year that were then given to the food bank in northeastern Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley.
Food drive officials currently have ample canned vegetables, but desperately need canned fruit and canned meat.
Interested participants should place canned food items in plastic bags by their mailboxes for mail carriers to pick up when making deliveries Saturday, according to WNEP.
Nichols delivers mail throughout Wilkes-Barre, Pa's Height's neighborhood.
According to The Gazette-Mail, 10,000 municipalities participate in the food drive. The event takes place the second Saturday in May.
All 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam also take part in the 22nd year-old initiative.
