If you place a jar of peanut butter or a box of cereal by your mailbox on Saturday, it will be delivered to local families in need.

Powell postal workers will collect food items this weekend as part of the national Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

For Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes, the annual food drive comes at a good time.

“We have been extremely busy at the pantry,” said Cindy Balderas, treasurer of the local nonprofit.

So far this year, the pantry has consistently provided food for 90 or more families every month. January saw the most usage with 111 families, which included 424 people.

Summer months tend to be even busier, with kids home from school and not receiving school lunches, Balderas said. As the need increases during the summertime, donations often slow down, since people are traveling or camping and not in their normal routine.

“This drive helps us through the summer months,” Balderas said. “We are looking to fill our shelves to help us until the fall drive.”

Folks can expect to see orange bags and a postcard about the drive in their mailboxes this week; just place donations near your mailbox Saturday for letter carriers to collect.

“The post office is awesome,” Balderas said.

Donations also can be taken to the Powell post office this week.

Food pantries in Wyoming partnered to create the bags. While other towns are listed on the bags, the food collected locally will not be sent elsewhere.

“The food will stay in Powell, Wyoming,” Balderas said. “It does not go to any other community. So if you are donating, just be assured that not only your monetary donations, but your actual food donations, do stay right here in the community.”

Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes needs peanut butter, tuna, cereal, pasta, pasta sauce, and canned meals, such as chili or soup, she said.

Balderas said the pantry volunteers appreciate the community’s support. In recent weeks, Powell High School students collected food, and Powell Middle School students made a monetary donation from a school dance. In addition, the pantry regularly receives donations from churches, charities and other local organizations.

“It’s just wonderful to see that the community is still continuing to support our pantry,” Balderas said.

Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts also pitch in to help.

“They’re so darn cute,” Balderas said of the young kids. “They’re toting in their little bags ... it’s so sweet.”

She said it’s great to see youth wanting to be involved in giving back to the community.

For those who receive food through Loaves and Fishes, Balderas reminded folks to call the Park County Annex at 754-8800 to make an appointment. The pantry is available from 9-11:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, unless the annex is closed for a holiday.

People can designate dietary needs on the form — such as if they don’t want peanut butter.

“We do appreciate so much when people tell us they can’t have a certain thing,” Balderas said, adding, “we try really hard to meet the requests of the people for special diet needs.”

While Loaves and Fishes buys only food items with its budget, community members can donate other things, such as shampoo, toilet paper, toothbrushes, soap or deodorant; those items also will be given to people in need.

The Cowley Second Ward Relief Society recently donated bags with snacks, crayons and coloring things for kids.

Monetary donations for Loaves and Fishes can be sent to P.O. Box 992, Powell WY 82435.

If you’d like to volunteer, contact Julie Fulton at 754-4231.

“We’re always looking for additional help,” Balderas said.

Years ago, Loaves and Fishes served 30 to 40 families each month. That number has more than doubled now.

When the pantry first started, volunteers didn’t expect they’d be around very long.

“We’re starting our 31st year,” Balderas said. “Obviously, there is a need.”