BERRIEN COUNTY — Niles postal workers collected food from residents Saturday for the annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Postal Food Drive.

Postal carrier Johnny Hernandez said he was proud of his community and volunteers for assisting in the effort.

“We had a great turnout this year,” he said. “At around 5 o’clock [Saturday] we had over 17,000 pounds collected in Niles and almost 5,000 pounds in Buchanan. This amount of food will definitely help to support our local food pantries.”

Hernandez thanked the people in community who helped to Stamp Out Hunger this year. He also thanked volunteers who helped to load and unload all of the food donated.

“We had family and friends of many letter and rural carriers,” Hernandez said. “Groups from every local food pantry. Young volunteers from the Girl and Boy Scouts of Buchanan.”

Hernandez also thanked local businesses that donated food and supplies to assist in making the food drive a success, including the Niles and Buchanan Harding’s and Subways, Buchanan’s Pizza Hut and Gary Z’s, Niles Martin’s, UPS Store, Jimmy John’s, Saylor’s Pizza, Paris Soda Co., Front Street Pizza and Pizza Transit.

“The list seems to get bigger every year, which only proves that our community cares and looks out for one another,” Hernandez said. “Looking forward to 2020.”