FOLEY, Ala. — Local letter carriers will be picking up non-perishable food donations on Saturday as part of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive.

This will be the 18th annual drive and South Baldwin Ecumenical Ministries Inc. will be the recipient of all food donations collected by Foley and Elberta letter carriers.

According to Pam Meredith, director of South Baldwin EMI, the food drive will be conducted as usual but with one notable exception this year. Area residents are asked to put non-perishable food items in a bag by their mailboxes on Saturday where letter carriers will pick them up and see that the items get to South Baldwin EMI’s food pantry for use locally.

“Specific non-perishable items needed always include peanut butter, jelly, boxed dinners, canned meat and fish products and breakfast items,” Meredith said, noting all donated items are appreciated.

Different this time around, however, is a “Stamp Out Hunger” drop-off spot at Art in the Park in downtown Foley.

“It’s in case anyone forgets to put out their bags of food by their mailbox,” Meredith said.

A truck will be parked at the north end of John B. Foley Park next to Violet Avenue on both May 8 and 9, the days of Art in the Park. EMI will have a tent and will be selling ice tea and sharing the EMI story, Meredith said. EMI is a United Way of Baldwin County partner agency.

Over two tons of donated food items were collected through “Stamp Out Hunger” in 2009. That resulted in 30,723 meals being given out through EMI’s food pantry to over 1,400 people last year. That does not include food boxes given out at Christmas time to more than a hundred families.

Among the local letter carriers who will pick up food donations on Saturday are contract carriers who participate in the event on their own time, Meredith said.