NATCHEZ — The National Association of Letter Carriers is asking residents to leave more than outgoing postage in their mailboxes today.

Letter carriers will be collecting non-perishable food gifts during the 21st annual nationwide Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Residents can put their non-glass, non-perishable donations in bags and leave them at their mailbox for carriers to pick up today.

The donations will be divided among the Natchez Stewpot, Guardian Shelter and the food banks at the First United Pentecostal Church, the U.S. 61 South Church of Christ and Pilgrim Baptist Church.

Louis Gunning director of the Natchez Stewpot said the items received from the drive are essential to the mission of the charities.

“Often these people are the poor, the old, the sick, the handicapped, the unemployed and the young children,” Gunning said. “This drive gives each of us an opportunity to maximize our help to them.”

The food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive benefiting Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization. In 2012, 70 million pounds of food was donated nation-wide during the drive.