You can help your local food pantries this weekend by donating items to stamp out hunger.

The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a national campaign. You may have received a yellow bag from your mail carrier. You can fill it up this Saturday with nonperishables to help feed those in need.

"The perception is that basically, you know, we have a lot of money within the area, but there are the insecurities of food within this area," says Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County Executive Director Duncan Lawson.

Lawson says there are hundreds of families right in our area who go without eating because they cannot afford it. "I think the demand is really putting a lot of pressure not only on us but some of the agencies that actually come here," says Lawson.

Participants can leave the bag of nonperishable food items for your mail carrier to pick up. It's one of the biggest food drives of the year.

"Peanut butter, jelly - that's very helpful. Cereal is another big one," said Lawson.

Lawson says he has seen about a 15% increase in food insecurity this year already. Mail carriers have been delivering these goods to local food pantries as part of the campaign for 30 years.

"They've been hit a lot harder in these food banks and food pantries, and we just try and do our part to fill them back up," says Mike Ely with the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Lawson says they've already received 1,000 pounds of food and are hoping for much more.

"Thanks in advance to the general public out there who all make the donations to us," says Lawson.

This food drive will also benefit Person to Person. You can also go online and donate fresh food.