JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Letter carriers across the nation spent Saturday, May 11th delivering the mail as usual, but also collecting non-perishable food donations for their local food pantries.

The 27th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive encouraged residents to leave a donation of food next to their mailbox which was then picked up by a mail carrier and later delivered to a local food pantry.

“We collected over 3,500 pounds of food this year,” Jamestown Letter Carrier JoAnne Ray reports. “That is up from 2,200 from the past 2 years. A big thank you to the community, our volunteers, the letter carriers, and everyone else who helps us get the word out, and works behind the scenes for this great cause in our community.”

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a part of the National Association of Letter Carriers and has raised 1.5 billion pounds of food nationally.