Local postal workers and volunteers expect to collect more than 20,000 pounds of donated food on May 12 in Des Plaines and Rosemont to support the Self Help Closet and Food Pantry in Des Plaines.

City Council members showed their support for the cause by holding up their "Stamp Out Hunger" T-shirts at their meeting on Monday.

The National Association of Letter Carriers will celebrate its 20^th national “Stamp Out Hunger” drive this Saturday, the largest single day food drive in the country. More than one billion pounds of food have been collected since the food drive started.

To participate, residents can leave non-perishable, non-expired food items near their mailbox on Saturday, and postal workers will pick it up. Download a postcard to attach to the bag here.

Earlier: Demand rises, donations decline at Maine Township Food Pantry.

Approximately 11 percent of Illinoisans face food insecurity and more than 1.6 million individuals were receiving food stamp benefits in February 2010, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year, according to the USDA.

Last year more than 70 million pounds of food were collected nationwide, according to the association.

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