ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County mail carriers hope to be picking up more than bill payments and letters on Saturday.

Carriers with the Rockingham post office are participating in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive — an annual event sponsored by National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carrier Association — collecting food for those who need it.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, it is the largest one-day food drive in the nation and has delivered more than one billion pounds of food the past 24 years.

Bran Faw, postmaster, said 10,000 bags were passed out this week in anticipation of Saturday’s collection in Rockingham and Hamlet. He added that some bags were sent to the Ellerbe post office.

Residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday. Faw said bags can also be left on the porch.

“As long as they let us know where they’re leaving them, we’ll get them,” he said.

The Rockingham post office, which also serves Hamlet, delivers to about 12,500 residents along 25 routes, according to Faw.

The postmaster, who has been with the Rockingham post office since 1990, said he usually brings extra help to assist with the collection.

Last year, carriers collected about 10,000 pounds of food, which is consistent with years past. Faw said that it usually takes several truckloads to get it all hauled off.

“All the food we collect stays local,” he added, with the recipients being Our Daily Bread and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Faw said bags can also be dropped off at the post office’s front window.

Staff report