The Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council is again partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers to “stamp out hunger” with an annual food drive Saturday, said labor council President Bob Kutz.

Residents have been encouraged to leave non-perishable food donations — dry and canned goods — near their mailboxes, which will be picked up by U.S. Postal Service letter carriers Saturday, Kutz said.

The letter carriers will transport the food to the post office along 11th Avenue in Altoona, where labor council volunteers will sort it at the docks and donate the items to five local food banks.

Those locations include the Altoona Food Bank along North Branch Avenue; Reaper’s Food Ministry, a food pantry located at First Baptist Church in Altoona; the Sacred Heart Food Pantry along Sixth Avenue; Sister Paula’s Soup Kitchen; and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry on Adams Avenue.

Kutz said the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is in its 35th year and is “a big deal” nationwide.

“The National Association of Letter Carriers decided in 1991 that it was a good idea to help those in need out, especially toward summertime because all of the kids are coming home and oftentimes don’t have much to eat,” Kutz said.

Locally in Blair County, the labor council typically collects between 25 and 28 tons of food for families in need through the food drive each year, according to Kutz.

“We get spaghetti, beans, corn and vegetables of all types,” Kutz said, adding the labor council also receives several cans of pasta sauce.

“They do this in all the major cities across Pennsylvania and across the U.S.,” Kutz said. “If just little Altoona can do 25 to 28 tons, there’s a lot more to be had nationwide.”

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.