Second Harvest collecting donations from mailboxes

May 7—Second Harvest Community Food Bank is teaming up with mail carriers to help collect food and end hunger in St. Joseph.

The annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which begins Saturday, May 11, is a collaborative effort between the food bank and the National Association of Letter Carriers. Yellow bags will be placed in mailboxes, and residents can put non-perishable food items in the bags to donate to Second Harvest. Letter carriers will pick up the donations.

Second Harvest CEO Chad Higdon said the drive is especially important as community members deal with high grocery and food prices.

"We're seeing high inflation and families still coming looking for support," Higdon said. "Really just appreciate the support we received last year. We received nearly 50,000 pounds of food from this drive."

Donations could include granola bars, pasta, soup and cereal. Other accepted foods will be listed on the bags as well.

"Everybody usually goes out to their mailbox every day to check the mailbox so this week you are going to see one of these sacks out there," Higdon said. "It is an easy way to put a box of cereal or spaghetti, it's a really easy way to give back."

The Stamp Out Hunger drive is one of the most impactful initiatives out of all of the Second Harvest drives.

"It really is the largest food drive that benefits Second Harvest," Higdon said. "It is a lot of work and they do not have to participate ... It is a tremendous effort on the part of the letter carriers."