ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Western North Carolina residents will have a chance this weekend to help stock local food pantries simply by leaving a bag of food by their mailbox.

The National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive returns Saturday, May 9, with donations across the region benefiting MANNA FoodBank and its network of partner pantries and meal sites.

Residents are encouraged to fill a sturdy bag with non-perishable food items and place it next to their mailbox before regular mail delivery Saturday. Letter carriers will collect the donations along their routes and help deliver them to local hunger relief efforts.

The drive comes as many families across Western North Carolina continue recovering from the economic strain left by Tropical Storm Helene while also facing rising food costs and tight household budgets. MANNA officials said the need for food assistance often remains high heading into summer, when school meal programs pause and donations typically decline.

“This is one of the most direct ways our community can help keep food moving to neighbors who need it most,” said Micah Chrisman, MANNA FoodBank’s director of marketing and communications. “Every bag left by a mailbox this Saturday is an act of intentional care.”

Suggested donations include canned vegetables, fruits, soups, meats and fish, along with peanut butter, pasta, rice, cereal and other shelf-stable foods.

Organizers ask residents not to donate expired food, opened packages or items packaged in glass containers.

Now in its 34th year, Stamp Out Hunger is considered the nation’s largest one-day food drive. Donations collected locally will be sorted and distributed through MANNA’s regional hunger relief network.

People with questions about the food drive can ask their letter carrier, contact their local post office or visit NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.