CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The numbers are in from the May 11 Stamp Out Hunger collection by local mail carriers for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s Les Sinclair says letter carriers picked up 91,000 pounds of food, good for 76,000 meals… and brings the Stamp Out Hunger collections from all the area events to more than 2-and-a-half million.

Sinclair says this was an initiative the letter carrier themselves drew up years ago, and they do the extra work on these Saturdays collecting the food left at mailboxes, and taking them to the post offices for distribution. He says the timing now is important since many kids in free breakfast and lunch programs in school might have those interrupted and families look to the food bank for support.