MOSES LAKE — Mail carriers will be picking up more than the mail this Saturday, as part of the U.S. Postal Service Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

Residents are invited to fill a bag — or bags — with non-perishable food items and leave them next to their mailbox for the letter carrier to pick up, said Customer Service Supervisor Lindee Long.

There’s no limit on the amount of food that can be left, Long said.

“We have volunteers, mostly carriers that have already retired,” she said. “They come (back) every year and they're familiar with the routes, so they'll go and drive the routes and pick up from the carriers so their trucks don't get full.”

The food that’s collected goes to the Moses Lake Food Bank. The need is especially great at this time of year, said food bank Director Peny Archer.

“We very much appreciate (it) because people do not think about (people being hungry) in April, May, June, July,” Archer said. “They always think, ‘Oh, that's in November or December.’ So we're thankful for them doing this, very thankful.