Post offices around northern Minnesota will not only be delivering mail, but they will also be picking up canned food left by residents this Saturday.

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive has helped community food shelters keep their shelves stocked with food. The perishable items donated all stay local, meaning they go directly to the food shelf program in the area.

In Grand Rapids the Second Harvest Food Shelf program has over 900 families who use their food bank.

“So that’s a lot of men, women and children who sometimes need a little additional help in getting food into their household,” said Second Harvest Food Bank & Food Shelf Program Manager Ellen Christmas. “The food shelf is a safety net for that, so to have the letter carriers support and the public’s support and to work together to feed our friends and neighbors out there is just a great collaboration.”

Residents can put the canned food outside near their mailboxes and the carriers will pick them up and send them to the post office. In Bemidji, the food will go to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf. People can donate items such as pasta, cereal, beans, rice and tuna.

“They need food the most…during the summer seasons, so this helps, it’s not the only food drive,” Bemidji Post Office Letter Carrier Kevin Story said. “There’s lots of community food drives but we’re asking for everybody to do just a little. You don’t have to do a lot because if everybody does a little, well then, in the end it becomes a lot.”

You can also stop by your local post office and drop off food donations after May 11th as well.

By — Malaak Khattab

News Reporter