Natchez and Adams County residents have a great opportunity to help the needy this weekend &045; and they don’t have to go farther than their mailboxes.

Letter carriers from throughout Natchez and Adams County will be joining with postal workers around the country to collect canned goods and other non-perishable foods from residences. The project is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

People can simply leave their canned goods in or near their mailboxes on Saturday, and carriers will pick them up when they deliver the mail.

Items donated can include canned meats, canned vegetables, pasta, cereal and other non-perishable foods.

While the campaign will be going on across the country, the food collected in Natchez will stay right here in the community.

In Natchez and Adams County, the food collected will be divided among the Sunshine Shelter, Guardian Shelter and the Pendleton Group Home.

Last year, Natchez was able to collect 5,500 pounds of food to help those in need at these agencies.

This year, postal workers have set a higher goal &045; 10,000 pounds. Nineteen city carriers and 18 rural carriers will be covering the city and county to collect the food, and we hope everyone will participate.

We can all spare some food to help those in need in our community.