The Maui News - Hawai‘i mail carriers began distributing blue plastic donation bags last week to make it a little easier for residents to donate to the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive to support the state’s food banks. “Last year, there was a drop in collections, so hopefully this year, we will have a good donation with the bags donated by several companies on O‘ahu,” said Jan Ishizu, the Kahului Post Office carrier who is coordinating the food drive on Maui. “We’re making it easier for people to make a donation; just put it in the bag and hang it on the box.”
“We want to stress, all the food donated in Maui County stays in Maui County,” Ishizu said. “We hope that with the bags, people will contribute a little, even if it’s just one or two cans.” Food products that can be left for mail pickup include canned meats, pastas, soups, beans, fruits and vegetables, as well as packaged dry beans, rice and cereal. The food banks are urging donations of healthier products such as canned tuna rather than Spam or Vienna sausages.