The second Saturday in May traditionally features the Letter Carriers Food Drive and this coming Saturday, May 11 is the date set aside for the effort this year.

Mail patrons in the Escalon area are asked to put non-perishable donations in a bag by their mailbox and the donations will be picked up by the letter carriers. The donations will be collected and donated to local food banks to help meet the needs of families in the area.

Officially known as ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ the drive is supported by a number of organizations, including the United States Postal Service, the United Way, National Association of Letter Carriers and the AFL-CIO, among others.

Those who get mail inside at the post office can bring donations there, to help benefit the May 11 effort.

The timing of the drive helps to get more food on the shelves of local food pantries in advance of school letting out for the summer, when kids in need won’t have access to the free/reduced price school lunch program.