ROANOKE (WSLS 10) -One in eight people in Southwest Virginia struggle to put food on their table, but this weekend you can help.
Blue donation bags are being left in mailboxes across the area this week.
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It's part of the 24th annual 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive.
The food drive is a collaboration between The National Association of Letter Carriers, Feeding America Southwest Virginia, and Food Lion.
Food Lion donated 10,000 meals Wednesday to kick off the event.
Robert Ward, Director of Operations for the Roanoke/Martinsville Food Lion region, says it's part of the 'Food Lions Feeds' initiative.
"No individual should have to choose between paying their rent, and basic utilities, and then having to worry about ‘can I still afford to provide a nourishing meal for our families,'" Ward said.
"So we really try to think of way of how we can help our communities and do our part to solve that."
All donations stay local.
Last year, letter carriers in Southwest Virginia collected more than 322,000 pounds of food.