Hattiesburg mail carriers participate in 25th annual 'Stamp Out Hunger'

HATTIESBURG, MS. - The following is a press release by Edwards Street Fellowship Center.

This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the National Association of Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive.

Pine Belt area residents are receiving brown grocery bags in their mailboxes with the message that they can, "Fill a bag with food and bring hope to someone in need."

Food collected in these bags will be distributed among several local feeding agencies: Christian Services, Edwards Street Fellowship Center, Petal Children's Task Force, and the Salvation Army.

Residents can fill their bags with nonperishable food and leave the bag by their mailbox on Saturday morning.

Their letter carrier will pick up the bag and return it to the post office, where the food will be distributed to the various local feeding agencies.

U.S. Postal Service employee Winfred Johnson, the local coordinator of this year's Stamp Out Hunger food drive, hopes Pine Belt residents will donate 60,000 - 70,000 pounds of food this weekend.

Johnson said the addition of the brown grocery bags, which were provided by Community Bank, is expected to increase donations over previous years.

Food collection bins are available in the post office lobbies downtown, on 40th Avenue, and in Petal for those who receive their mail in a post office box or drawer.