Salina letter carriers are joining a nationwide effort to help “Stamp Out Hunger”.

A kickoff event was held Friday at the Salina Post Office, where food and monetary donations were accepted.

The main event is Saturday, when carriers will collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters.

To donate, just place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail. The carrier will do the rest.

The timing is important, with food banks, pantries and shelters running low on donations from the winter holidays and with summer approaching, when most school meal programs are suspended.

In the 31 years since it began, the food drive has collected nearly two billion pounds of food for struggling residents.

Salina letter carriers are a part of the effort. Last year they collected 17,000 pounds of food. Food collected in Salina will be donated to the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank.

Nearly 1,500 letter carrier branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are participating.

The “Stamp Out Hunger” effort is the largest single-day food drive in the United States.