Post offices throughout the area, including Morganton, will participate in the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive, in which residents are asked to put non-perishable food items either in or next to their mailboxes for their postal carriers to pick up. People can put the food in either plastic or paper bags, though plastic may be the better choice if it rains. There will not be paper bags distributed in copies of The News Herald for the drive this year, as had been done in years past.

The carriers will deliver the food back to the Morganton branch, where it will be sorted and packed by volunteers to take to Burke United Christian Ministries’ food pantry to feed those in need.

BUCM is asking for volunteers to come to the Morganton post office on Saturday from 12:30-5 p.m. to help with the drive.

This is the 25th Stamp Out Hunger food drive that takes place across the nation and is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

“We look forward to it each year because of the important role we’re playing in the fight against hunger in this country,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said in a statement on the NALC website.

The site said letter carriers have collected more than 1.5 billion pounds of food over the drive’s history. Carriers in western Burke County collected about 19,000 pounds of food during last year’s drive, according to Dr. David Burleson, executive director of BUCM.

Burleson explained that the Valdese post office collects food for the pantry at Waldensian Presbyterian Church, and the Hildebran post office collects food for East Burke Christian Ministries. He said collection barrels will be available in the Morganton, Glen Alpine and Drexel post offices through next week to take additional food donations.

Any type of non-perishable food item will be gratefully accepted. Burleson suggested donations such as canned meat, vegetables and soups, cereal, instant mac-and-cheese and peanut butter.

He shared the importance of the ministry’s pantry receiving a boost at this particular time.

“Without this food drive, we would have a very difficult time meeting the needs of our community throughout the summer,” Burleson said. “The greatest need we have for our soup kitchen and our pantry is in the summer, because children are not in school getting lunch or breakfast. For many of them, their meals are here at Burke United Christian Ministries, and the food they get to serve at home is (from) here.”

He added that BUCM received a grant through the Community Foundation of Burke County to encourage people to donate extra garden produce to BUCM throughout the year and possibly offer classes for clients in canning and preserving the produce for winter.

Burleson expressed appreciation for all the letter carriers who will help out with Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday, and for Morganton Post Master Brian Ward for overseeing the effort.

“We understand that this is an extra burden for them and adds to their workload,” Burleson said. “We appreciate their compassion for our community and their willingness to help others and go the extra mile. This is something that could not happen without their support.”

Bruce Carpenter, the rural carrier supervisor for the Morganton post office, said he is proud to take part in Stamp Out Hunger.

“It’s important for us, because it’s a good way for our post office to support the local food bank here,” Carpenter said. “We’re able to be in contact with many more individuals through our rural carriers, which gives us an opportunity to reach out to everyone as far as picking up items for the food bank. The carriers enjoy doing it and take pride in picking up donations. It’s a little extra work for them, but it’s worth it. I’m glad the post office can help in some way.”

Carpenter mentioned that in addition to needing volunteers to sort the food at the post office, people also will be needed to make trips around the Morganton area if rural carriers receive more donations of food than they can transport.

“They’ll have runners that go out and pick up the food from our rural carriers,” Carpenter said. “A lot of these carriers will get so much food, they can’t haul it all in their vehicles.”

Those interested in volunteering to sort and pack food at the post office on Saturday should contact either Burleson at bucmdirector@hotmail.com, or administrative assistant Elizabeth Norris at burkeunited@hotmail.com. People also can call BUCM at 828-433-8075. Burleson said walk-in volunteers would be welcomed as well.

Community members are free to drop off food and/or clothing donations at BUCM directly anytime Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except on Wednesday afternoons, when the ministry is closed.

To learn more about the local Stamp Out Hunger food drive, visit www.bucm.net.