(ABC 6 News) – The Stamp Out Hunger food drive has delivered more than 1.82 billion pounds of food for the past 30 years all over the country on the second Saturday of May, and this year those efforts came to Austin.

The community was out full force, making sure those who need food, don’t go starving.

“It helps us not have to spend money to buy food and things like that, so the free food and the postal food drive, is a wonderful event,” said John Woddard, Captain of the Salvation Army in Austin.

For the day, your mail carriers aren’t just delivering letters and packages, but food for those in need. They then drop off those donations to the Salvation Army, where they can help hungry families put food on the dinner table.

“It’s food insecurity. People are skipping meals, the elderly, kids don’t get all the meals they need. So food shelves provide an important link to help people make the payments they need to make for rent, car insurance, clothing,” said Bob Rosel, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive coordinator.

The Salvation Army can’t thank enough the volunteers who make the food drive happen every year.

“All of the volunteers and donors that help out with this, it gives them an opportunity to give back to their community in way that they know it is tangible to help,” Woddard said.

The Salvation Army said each year the event really helps make sure the food shelf remains stocked throughout the course of the year, but still stresses the importance of food donations year round.

The Salvation Army received over 11,000 pounds of food through part of the day on Saturday. The total amount is expected to be announced next week.