DES MOINES, Iowa — The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday will mobilize thousands of Iowans to help combat food insecurity. 

The annual food drive is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers and takes place every year on the second Saturday in May. 

People can participate by leaving a bag of food next to their mailbox on Saturday. Residents are encouraged to donate healthy, non-perishable food items that are unopened and in-date. 

Then, postal workers will pick up the donations and bring them to local food pantries, like the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC). 

This is the largest single-day food drive in the nation, and DMARC says this is an important drive for them.

Last year, 30,000 pounds of food were collected through the drive and brought to DMARC. 

“When we have 30,000 pounds of food come in just one single day that makes a huge difference in what’s available,” said Blake Willadsen, the DMARC’s marketing and communications manager. 

Willadsen says this drive helps contribute to DMARC’s ability to help around 75,000 community members annually. 

About 80% of the people using DMARC’s services are either young people under age 17, seniors, or are actively employed, according to Willadsen. 

“The food that you’re donating for this drive makes a huge impact for a lot of those people who you might not expect,” he said. “This food pantry just helps serve as kind of a step up for oftentimes a bump in the road.”

This comes after 2024 was a historic year for DMARC’s Food Pantry Network.

Around 150 volunteers will help sort through the donations at DMARC’s warehouse throughout next week. 

For more information on how to volunteer at DMARC, click here.