San Diego County mail carriers will collect nonperishable food donations Saturday, May 9, as part of the 34th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, according to East County Magazine.

The effort is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Residents are asked to place a sturdy bag of nonperishable food items next to their mailbox before their letter carrier arrives that day.

Organizers say the drive helps restock local pantry shelves ahead of summer, when many children lose access to daily free or reduced-price school meals. Last year, residents donated nearly 127,000 pounds of food along local mail routes.

Most-needed items include canned meats and fish, canned vegetables and fruits, canned soups and stews, oatmeal, cereal, rice and peanut butter. Donations collected along routes will be taken to local hubs, sorted by volunteers and Food Bank staff, then distributed through more than 450 nonprofit partners across the county.

For Santee families who want to help without making a separate trip, the drive is designed to be simple: bag shelf-stable food, leave it by the mailbox before delivery and let the carrier handle the pickup.