Island Harvest Teams Up With Letter Carriers Union To 'Stamp Out Hunger'

HAUPPAUGE (CBSNewYork) -- One Long Island food bank is teaming up with the National Association of Letter Carriers to help fight local hunger this weekend.

Island Harvest Food Bank, of Hauppauge, is asking residents of Nassau and Suffolk counties to leave canned food or nonperishable items by their mailboxes on Saturday, May 14, for pickup by local postal workers.

More: National Stamp Out Hunger Drive FAQ

"You could put a can -- one can at your mailbox-- or you could put a case," Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest told WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs. "It doesn't matter. We'll take it."

According to Dresner, all donations will go to benefit residents and families in need. 

The local initiative is part of the National Association of Letter Carriers' annual "National Stamp Out Hunger Day" program. According to the organization's website, those looking to donate can also give to local food banks in New York City, Greenwich, Conn. and San Francisco by making a donation online.

Stop & Shop, the United States Postal Service and Herald Community Newspapers are also sponsoring Saturday's event.

According to the NALC, postal service workers collected around 71 million pounds of food nationwide for donation last year. Long Islanders donated 346,000 pounds of food during the 2015 drive, which Island Harvest says translated into around 288,333 donated meals.

Letter Carrier Union president Walter Baron said they love the extra work on occasions like this.

"We look at it as a labor of love, because they have that connection to the people on their routes," Baron said.

Island Harvest says around 316,000 people are at risk for hunger on Long Island.