Not only were mail carriers delivering mail on Saturday, but they were collecting food items as part of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive as well.

The countrywide food drive is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers, the United States Postal Service and the United Way and the food collected in Ironton and the rural Ironton area benefitted both the city mission and Backpack Buddies program of the Campbell Chapel Freewill Baptist Church.

“It’s a good cause that’s been going on for a number of years,” Randy Shaw, customer service supervisor at the Ironton Post Office, said. “From what the carriers have said, they’ve been doing pretty well. Usually they collect a good amount of food to help out the shelters around here.”

After the carriers had collected all of the food, it was split up at the mission where Jodie Hunt, organizer of the Backpack Buddies, said a total of about 1,600 pounds of food was collected for the mission and Backpack Buddies to each recieved about 800 pounds of food.

“We had a great day and a great group of volunteers,” Hunt said. “We love working with the postal service. They’re great. We had a great time and it was an awesome day.”