COEUR d'ALENE - In the dark, early morning hours of late October, bags, boxes and cans were quietly removed from porches and doorsteps throughout Kootenai County, but it was no crime spree.

It was the exact opposite.

Press newspaper carriers were picking up food donations left outside each night by this paper's subscribers as part of a drive to help stock the shelves at the area's two largest food banks.

"It just turned out unbelievable," said Press Circulation Manager Dan Phillips.

Between Oct. 15 and Oct. 30, the carriers collected 9,000 pounds of food for the Community Action Partnership's food bank in Coeur d'Alene, and the Post Falls Food Bank. That's 4.5 tons of nourishment.

"Our subscribers, out of the goodness of their hearts, made this possible, and the carriers are the ones that made it happen," Phillips said. "That's what this community does, and what this paper does. They help people."

Longtime carrier Gwen McDonald came up with the idea of a Press carrier food collection, and the rest of the newspaper's delivery people were happy to get on board.

There were three carriers who collected more than 600 pounds of food each.

Sarah Howard collected the most, 676 pounds.

"I had one lady that emptied her whole pantry," said Howard, a Coeur d'Alene resident who has delivered The Press for two years.

It took Howard, who has a route in downtown Coeur d'Alene and another route near Appleway Avenue, three days to collect it all.

She said she thought a paper carriers' food drive was a good idea.

"It's the holiday season, and when you're doing the routes, you see homeless people. It's giving back to the community," Howard said.

The two other top food collectors were Shelly Anderson who brought in 639 pounds; and Heidi Jones, who wrangled 625 pounds.

Philanthropic good feelings weren't the only benefits for Howard, Anderson and Jones. They will each receive holiday goodies baked by Gwen McDonald, and they were handed cash prizes on Wednesday. Howard received $300 cash from The Press. Anderson was given $200 and $100 went to Jones.

Food bank managers Carolyn Shewfelt from Community Action Partnership and Sherry Wallis from the Post Falls Food Bank were thrilled with The Press carriers' efforts and the paper's subscribers' generosity.

The need is greater than ever they said, since a substantial food stamp cut went into effect Nov. 1.

For most families, the cut is about $40 per month, Wallis said.

Shewfelt said those families will now have to take money away from something else, so their kids don't go hungry.

The food bank managers asked that people think of the food banks throughout the winter, because the need is constant.

"The face of hunger has changed," Wallis said. "It's our neighbors."

The majority of those served by the food banks, she said, are the working poor.