Mirror photo by Walt Frank / Jarrett Beach of Hastings, a member of Local 5 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, carries a box of food to be taken to a local food bank Saturday during the NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

The Altoona area’s NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday was another success.

The local drive, conducted by the National Association of Letter Carriers in conjunction with the U.S. Post Office and the Central Labor Council of Blair County, gathered 26 tons of food, said Robert Kutz, labor council president.

The collected food was distributed to the Altoona Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul Food for Families Soup Kitchen, Sister Pauline’s Food for Families, Sacred Heart Food Pantry and First Baptist Reapers.

“We volunteer to help stock up the food banks in the area,” Jeff Wills, labor council vice president, said. “There are a lot of needy people, and we are thankful for the people who donate food.”

“It makes me feel good that I can give something back to the community,” he said. “I enjoy volunteering. The ones who volunteer here are amazing; most are repeat volunteers.”

During the food drive, carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters.

Nearly 1,500 NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved.

Letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America participate in the event, the largest one-day food drive in the nation.

Last year, letter carriers collected 75.3 million pounds of food from 10,000 cities and towns.

Since the drive began in 1993, total donations have surpassed 1.6 billion pounds of food.

“Together we are continuing to make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans in need,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan in a statement.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.