PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Since 1993, the Post Office and United Way have tried to get food donations brought into their local food pantries through the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. 

Berkshire United Way is partnering with post offices in Berkshire County to get food for local food pantries. This year’s event is on Saturday, May 11.         

“We coordinate volunteers from the community. We often have lots of high school students, even middle school students, that come out to help us during the day. They help unload the trucks and put all of the donations on to a scale, so we weigh everything that comes in,” said Brenda Petell, the director of volunteer engagement for Berkshire United Way.

Food pantries across the country have seen an increase in need, but unfortunately, Berkshire County has seen a significant decrease in donations during the drive in recent years.

“We would on average have about 36,000 pounds of food. A couple years, we even had 42,000 pounds of food,” National Association of Letter Carrier Branch 286 President Amy Breault said. “Last year, we had 11,000, so the need is so much greater and we are getting so much less.”

Local food pantries, like Mercado De Vida, which is run by the Pittsfield organization Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, are always looking for food to help stock their pantry. 

“If you look, it’s all full today because the truck came in, but within two days, it’s just gone and that is tough because people need food,” said Nicole Fecteau of Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds.

On Saturday, mail carriers will be picking up non-perishable food items. They only ask you don’t put out anything breakable. 

“Do not leave anything glass. We have a lot of kids that volunteer a lot of children of mail carriers that they so look forward to volunteering and helping out, and the glass can be very dangerous because it breaks,” Breault said.

If you would like to put out food items, please leave it by the mailbox so your mail carrier or a volunteer can come and pick it up as early as possible. Those participating can also drop it off at their local post office.