Postal patrons in Ahoskie and Windsor will have the opportunity to ‘stamp out hunger’ Saturday.

In conjunction with the National Association of Letter Carriers, the United States Post Offices in Ahoskie and Windsor will be collecting non-perishable items on their mail routes on Saturday.

Those wishing to provide canned goods and other non-perishable items can leave them at their mail box and they will be picked up by the mail carriers. The annual event is in its 19^th year.

“This is very important, not just locally, but it helps nationally,” said Ahoskie Postmaster Dennis Spangler, who has been involved with the program since its inception. “There are children who do not get meals every day. It’s important that we do what we can to support others.”

Ahoskie is delivering cards today (Thursday) to homes in the town. Those cards are to be attached to a bag with the items that are to be collected.

In Windsor, postal patrons wishing to donate to the local food bank can simply leave their items near the mail box for pick up.

Items that are being sought include canned meats, canned and boxed meals, canned or dried beans and peas, pasta, rice, cereal, canned fruit, 100 percent fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed), canned vegetables, cooking oil and boxed cooking mixes (pancakes, bread).

Items that should not be contributed include rusty or unlabeled cans, glass containers, perishable items, homemade items, noncommercial canned or packed items, alcoholic beverages or mixes or soda and open or used items.

NALC President Fredrick V. Rolando said there are recent figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture measuring hunger in the United States.

“Those figures show that the number of Americans living in homes lacking sufficient food topped 50 million in 2009 with one in three of those – 17.2 million – a child,” he said. “Sadly, that represents a 30 percent increase in just one year. No doubt many of us have seen the evidence of this every day on our routes.”

Attempts to reach the Murfreesboro Post Office to find out if residents of the town can participate were unsuccessful.