Hopefully Saturday, May 13 will be a light mail day across America. That way letter carrier mail bags will have more room for food donations.

All over Whidbey Island, food will be collected at mailboxes as part of the United States Postal Service’s “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.”

This one-day event will see post offices and postal employees collecting non-perishable food items from community residents across the country. The annual event is now in its 14th year.

Food collected in Island County will go directly back into the community through local food banks.

“There is a continual need for assistance on Whidbey Island,” said Dale Holzboog, local representative of the National Association of Letter Carriers. “In our own community the need has continued to grow and is greater than ever with children, women and men suffering from hunger every day.”

Last year on Whidbey Island, residents donated over 20,000 pounds of food. This provided the resources for local food banks, including Help House, Gifts from the Heart and Good Cheer, to restock their non-perishable food supplies hit hardest during the winter holidays.

Postal workers are hoping this year will bring in even more food.

Non-perishable foods include factory sealed juice containers, canned food, unopened boxes and bagged dry goods.

The donation process for the May 13 food drive is simple. People who wish to donate can place non-perishable food items into a bag and leave the bag next to their mailbox.

Donations can also be brought to local post offices and dropped off at the food bank collection area just inside the entrance to the building.