Food collected by the Shepherd University students for the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive sits on display in the War Memorial Building on Friday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — At the entrance to the War Memorial Building ballroom, during The People’s Bowl last Thursday and Friday nights, lay an array of food donated by Shepherd University’s students in participation with the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

“The students pitched in and decided to give something to the pantry — snacks, canned goods and bottled beverages,” said Shepherdstown Shares volunteer Nancy Stewart, as she looked at the items on display. “It speaks well of Shepherd University’s students, that so many of them gave donations to this campaign.”

The nationwide campaign was founded in 1955, and is conducted by the United States Postal Service, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and National Association of Letter Carriers. The charitable initiative was introduced to Shepherdstown by former USPS employee Pam Donato — the former director of the nationwide food drive — in 2019. Initially, the local iteration of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive involved the postal service delivering postcards requesting nonperishable food donations to be left by local residents’ mailboxes on May 11. That food was then picked up by a volunteer driver and delivered to a main collection site.

All of the donations were then given the food pantry run by Jefferson County Community Ministries.

But the very next year, the food drive had to be discontinued in Shepherdstown, due to the arrival of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It wasn’t until 2023 that the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive returned, this time with the intention to fill the shelves of the newly formed Shepherdstown Shares Food Pantry. While last year’s food drive was only requesting monetary donations from local residents, this year’s food drive has returned to requesting canned and nonperishable food donations from local residents. However, instead of using volunteer drivers to collect the donations, local residents are asked to deliver their donations to drop-off locations throughout the community, at any time through this Saturday.

“This is our second annual Stamp Out Hunger campaign with the United States Postal Service,” said Shepherdstown Shares Treasurer Mark Kohut. “Hunger exists in every community in the nation, even Shepherdstown.”

Official donation boxes can be found at the War Memorial Building (102 East German Street); Shepherdstown Post Office (301 South King Street); Community Garden Market (207 South Princess Street, Suite 100); Jefferson Security Bank (105 East Washington Street); Dollar General (7670 Martinsburg Pike); Greentree Realty (138 East German Street); Brown’s Tire, Towing and Auto Care Center, Inc. (7735 Martinsburg Pike); Edward Jones (75 Maddex Square Drive); Specialty Printing (111 South Princess Street); Rankin Physical Therapy (7330 Martinsburg Pike); and all Shepherd University Dining Services locations.

Those participating in the donation process have been asked to place an envelope, enclosed in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive mail-out, in the mailbox by this Saturday.