Stamp Out Hunger food drive is Saturday. How to donate

Columbia residents are encouraged to put a little something extra in or at their mailboxes Saturday as part of the national Stamp out Hunger event.

The National Association of Letter Carriers’ collects funds and non-perishable food donations from local customers to support food pantries, soup kitchens and other similar organizations, the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri said in a news release.

The food bank has coordinated with local mail carriers to collect donations as mail deliveries are made.

Non-perishable food, as well as monetary donations, can be placed the morning of May 10 to be picked up, the food bank said. Monetary gifts may be made online or mailed, placed in food bags or left in the mailbox. Residents may use other bags or boxes for nonperishable food donations.

Most needed are peanut butter, canned meat, canned fruit and vegetables, whole-grain cereal and boxed meal helpers. The food bank asks that residents do not donate frozen, homemade or home-canned foods.

The one-day national food drive typically collects more than 2 billion pounds of food to help address food insecurity, which is something one-in-seven Missourians are facing, the food bank said.

The food bank services food pantries and other organizations in a 32-county region. Every $1 donated equates to four meals for families. It also operates its own pantry through The Food Bank Market at 705 W. Business Loop 70.