By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Three local food pantries will benefit from this weekend’s Stamp Out Hunger food collection drive. The campaign, in its 25th year, is the nation’s largest single-day food drive.

U.S. Postal Service workers will collect nonperishable items Saturday that will be distributed to the Salvation Army of Rowan County, Main Street Mission in China Grove and Rowan Helping Ministries. This year’s goal is 25,000 pounds, said Chairman Dennis Sims.

The Rowan County United Way has coordinated the program for the past six or seven years with the postal workers union selecting each year’s recipients.

Rowan County residents can leave the food items for carriers to pick up on their Saturday routes. The food will then be taken to the main post office on East Innes Street to be sorted by postal workers, ROTC members, food pantry staff and other volunteers.

Food Lion is providing collection bags and a trailer where the food will be stored until distribution.

Rowan Helping Ministries Executive Director Kyna Grubb said the food pantry situation is dire because there have been fewer independent food drives. Summer will only be tougher as donors take vacations, she said.

“We have seen seen significant decreases in food giving since before the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), and this decrease continues,” Grubb said.

When well-stocked through donations, the agency provides over 2,000 pounds of food each week through its food pantry, Grubb said.

Postal Service Chairwoman Kim Lane has said there is a great need among all food pantries.

Some of the needed nonperishable foods include canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, peanut butter, rice and cereal.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.