SALISBURY — The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its annual national food drive this Saturday, May 14.

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the country’s largest one-day food drive, is held annually on the second Saturday in May and provides residents with an easy way to donate food to those in need.

The need is as great as ever, given the pandemic-caused economic dislocations of the past two years. The traditional food drive is returning this year after a two-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 14.

The food donations stay in the community, going to help local residents. Letter carriers will collect these food donations on that day as they deliver mail along their postal routes, and will distribute them to Rowan Helping Ministries and The Salvation Army of Rowan County.

The timing is important, with food banks, pantries and shelters running low on donations from the winter holidays and with summer approaching, when most school meal programs are suspended.

Several national partners are assisting NALC in the food drive: the U.S. Postal Service, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, Vericast, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO, Valpak, the Kellogg Co. and CVS Health.