(Salt Lake City) – The Postal Service and its letter carriers will hold their annual food drive on Saturday, May 12. Utahans are encouraged to participate by placing non-perishable food items in bags, and leaving them by their mailbox before mail delivery on May 12. All the food collected will go to local community food banks and pantries.

This is the 20th year for the Help Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which has collected more than one billion pounds of food since its inception. Last year Americans donated more than 70 million pounds of food, including one million pounds of food in the Beehive state.

Examples of non-perishable items include: canned soup, canned meats, canned vegetables, fruits and juices, boxed goods (such as cereal), pasta and rice. Do not donate items that have expired or are in glass containers.

According to the most recent USDA Food Security Report, nearly 49 million Americans live in food-insecure households – including more than 16 million children. In Utah, an estimated 400,000 individuals face food insecurity.

The food drive is part of a nationwide drive designed to fill food bank pantries through the summer months, when levels are traditionally low. The effort by the USPS, members of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Rural Letter Carriers and other volunteers is the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

“The Postal Service is pleased to continue supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers as we enter our 20th year together to help Stamp Out Hunger in America,” said USPS Salt Lake District Manager Ken McArthur. “I am confident the 2012 campaign will be our best ever because the need continues to grow.”

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive visit: Help Stamp Out Hunger

Help Stamp Out Hunger Facebook

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations