It’s one of the most important food drives for the La Crosse area, as Erin Waldhart and Adrianne Olson stop in studio to tell us about it.

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive happens right out your front door from 8-10 a.m. Saturday.

Waldhart is the Wafer Food Pantry executive director and Olson is the Great River United Way marketing director.

Olson explains how simple it is to donate — just put your non-perishable foods in a bag near your mailbox around 8-10 a.m. Saturday, and volunteers or your mail carrier will pick them up. Last year, 31,300 pounds of donations came in and Olson has set a goal for 40,000 this year.

Waldhart said the donations are greatly needed right now, with inflation making things most costly, SNAP benefits not going as far, as well as government commodities decreasing by 2,500 meals a month, shipments being cancelled and donations decreasing across the board from all sources.

The best things to donate, Waldhart noted, are proteins, like canned chicken, tuna, peanut butter, as well as canned soups, pasta and sauce. She also said Wafer is most in need of breakfast items. People can also donate hygiene items.

All the donations will stay local going to the:

— Onalaska Food Basket pantry
— Wafer Food Pantry
— Hunger Task Force of the La Crosse Area