By Zach Hester, Reporter

DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — For more than twenty years, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) has had an annual food drive on the second Saturday of May that stretches from one end of the nation to the other. With a huge network of letter carriers dedicated to the cause, the "Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive" has become a great success for communities across America. This year's donations will be picked up on Saturday, May 12.

Each year, letter carriers collect non-perishable foods like canned goods from their customers. These generous donations go directly to local food pantries to provide for those in the area who need a little extra help.

Currently in the United States, there are upwards of 50 million people who are unsure of where their next meal will come from. Thirteen million of those are children and more than 5 million are senior citizens over the age of 60.

"Many people in this country struggle with hunger every day," said NALC President Frederic Rolando. "We are honored to be able to help people in need by leading an effort that brings out the best in so many Americans." For more than a decade, the drive has collected over 70 million pounds of food per year. Over the course of the event's history, 1.4 billion pounds of food has been collected to feed our neighbors.

According to the NALC, there are many local volunteer groups that will assist in the process this year. Those include United Way, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, National Guard units, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boy/Girl Scouts, various students groups, Rotary Clubs and AARP groups.

Participation is a simple way of helping out this great cause. On this, the food drive's 26th anniversary, you can help out by leaving non-perishable food items in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 12. Your letter carrier will do the rest. Thank you to all who give in this great cause as the NALC celebrates another fantastic day of giving. Together, hope can be delivered to those in need.

At the time of publication, we only know of the Fort Payne Post Office accepting donations. If you would like to donate any non-perishable foods and you live outside of Fort Payne, you may drop it off at their Post Office on the day of the food drive.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger or see their Twitter: @StampOutHunger.