Letter carriers are bracing themselves for extra-heavy loads May 11, when they’ll pick up food donations as well as the mail. “Stamp Out Hunger” is the annual postal food drive conducted by the Letter Carriers Union to replenish food pantries running low after holiday and winter food drives. Food banks are bracing for summer needs of families that rely on school lunch programs which shut down for the summer. Port Townsend carriers last year collected about 8,000 pounds of food for local food banks, said Saul Samsky, a letter carrier who coordinates the local campaign. Shirley Moss at the Port Townsend Food Bank said her organization relies on this annual event to supplement supplies of food needed for families and for the elderly. On May 11, donors are asked to leave donated food items by their mailbox or bring them to the lobby of the post office. Sources of protein, like canned fish or peanut butter are particularly needed. Samsky suggested donors try to avoid items in glass containers or items that can be easily crushed or damaged. Already opened and home-canned food items cannot be used by the food bank. Toiletry items are also helpful, he said. Because of the Food Bank’s access to various below-market sources of food, monetary donations can buy more food per dollar than a donor can buy in retail stores. Cash cannot be accepted, so checks made out to Jefferson County Food Bank Association are most helpful, Moss said. This year is the 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger postal food drive, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers union and the U.S. Postal Service. Last May, this food drive collected over 71.6 million pounds of food across the country. Local food collection by letter carriers will be gratefully assisted by participation of OlyCAP volunteers (and the OlyCAP truck and warehouse space) and also some retired and off-duty letter carriers.