The National Association of Letter Carriers celebrates its Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on May 9. Letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations as they deliver mail along their postal routes.

Donating is easy. On Saturday morning, leave a sturdy bag with non-perishable food items beside your mailbox. To ensure your donation is received, it’s recommended that you leave this parcel well before your letter carrier’s normal pick-up time.

Donations can include items such as canned goods, pasta, peanut butter or cereal. Carriers will then bring the food to local food banks, pantries or shelters.

The timing of this event is critical as many food pantries receive their donations during the holiday season. By late spring, supplies start to dwindle. In its 22-year history, the food drive has collected more than 1 billion pounds of food.

If your parcel is not picked up on Saturday, contact your local post office or place your donation by your mailbox on Monday when letter carriers will take missed donations.