PARKERSBURG — The 30th annual U.S. Postal Service Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will be held on May 14.

Postal customers can leave non-perishable food items at their mailbox where it will collected by a mail carrier or volunteer, said Bill Kirby, a local coordinator of the food drive.

The event has not been held for the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has impacted both the food pantries and people who have relied more on the help from pantries, according to Kirby.

“There is a dynamic need,” he said.

More than 1.75 billion pounds of food has been collected since the event started nationwide in 1993. It is organized and sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

More than 12 tons of food has been collected in the Parkersburg area.

On the larger mail routes, volunteers will go with the carriers to help collect the bags of food, Kirby said. A lot of food is collected on larger routes and the volunteer help is needed, he said.

“It lightens the load for the carrier,” Kirby said.

Food collected will be taken to the Camden Avenue Church of Christ where it will be sorted and disbursed to food pantries, Kirby said.

Starting at 9 a.m., a drive-through will be available at the church where volunteers will collect donations and the person won’t have to get out of the car, he said.

From 20-30 people will be at the church, Kirby said.

“We’re going to get every helper who we can possibly get,” he said.

Local food pantries benefit from the drive, Kirby said. Among the food pantries are the Disabled American Veterans, the Good Shepherd Church, Beechwood Presbyterian Church, Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, North End Church of Christ, Camden Avenue Church of Christ, the Salvation Army and Old Man Rivers.