Although no final total is yet available, local food pantries are hoping that the annual Stamp Out Hunger campaign sponsored by the United States Postal Service will at least match last year’s food collection of 9,040 pounds.

Volunteers for Combined Community Services, Our Father’s House and Mary & Jerry’s Helping Hands food pantries were on hand Saturday to collect food donations from the United States Postal Services annual Stamp Out Hunger campaign.

Officials and volunteers for service organizations including Combined Community Services, Our Father’s House and Mary & Jerry’s Helping Hands were at the Warsaw Post Office Saturday where mail carriers brought in nonperishable food donations in addition to the regular mail service.

Residents along postal routes were asked to leave donations at their collection points where the carriers retrieved them. The food donations were distributed to local emergency food pantries which are seeing record numbers of those in need each month.

Every year, all across the nation, carriers take one day and make a great effort to stamp out hunger. Residents take part by leaving a bag of food for the hungry at their mailbox. It’s the easiest way to give.

Stamp Out Hunger is the largest one-day, national food drive and it gives people the ability to donate to local food pantries without traveling any further than their own mailbox.