Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday

Postal workers are hoping to take a whole lot more from mail boxes Saturday than they deliver. It's time for the annual Letter Carrier's "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive.

It's the biggest one day food drive in the nation and it provides some much needed supplies to local food banks.

Letter carriers have been dropping off the "Stamp Out Hunger" collection bags this week in neighborhoods throughout Medford, Central Point, White City and Ashland.

The important day is Saturday. That's when they're asking people to fill those bags with non-perishable food items and leave them out before the mail carrier comes for the Saturday pickup.

This year Access Food Bank hopes to collect about 75,000 pounds of food and they say its coming at an important time.

"We haven't seen increases in resources, we just need to maintain. the community has been great supporters of holiday food drives were wonderful but it can't all come from all the community for food drives.we are looking at maintaining and bringing on new donors," said Philip Yates, of Access Food Bank.

Officials say they're now turning to local growers and businesses for help. They say in the summer months, the need increases but they get fewer donations.

Food bank officials say they're hoping to expand the food drive to the whole county. This year, for the first time neighborhoods in Talent, Gold Hill and Shady Cove are also participating.

For the collection drive you are being asked to only donate non-perishable food items.

They are encouraging people to donate protein-filled foods, such as canned meats, tuna and peanut butter, and don't donate anything you wouldn't eat.

For information on what to donate, visit http://www.access-inc.org/Page.asp?NavID=144