For Rene Eberhardt, it's better than Christmas.

"This is probably the most rewarding day we have," said the 10-year Casper letter carrier. "At Christmas, we get cards from our patrons and boxes of candy, but this is even better than Christmas. I would love to see one can of food at every mailbox on my route - and so would every carrier on Saturday."

This Saturday is the 17th annual Stamp out Hunger! Across America food drive, sponsored by U.S. Postal Service letter carriers. It's the largest one-day food drive in the country.

The premise is unbelievably simple, although in rural Wyoming, there are some additional guidelines. People are asked to place nonperishable food at their mailboxes on Saturday, and letter carriers will pick it up when they deliver the mail.

Bags have been provided by United Way in the Casper metro area and will be delivered to mailboxes by carriers. But you don't have to use a special bag for your donated food. Those who prefer to donate by check may write one to the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies, leave it in your mailbox, and your letter carrier will pick it up.

In towns without residential mail service, folks can still donate by taking food into their post offices any day this week.

And if you won't be home on Saturday, you can also take food in during normal business hours to any post office station. On Saturday in Casper, food will be accepted at the back dock doors of the main post office on Forest Drive.

All food collected in Wyoming stays in Wyoming, and all food collected in Natrona County stays in Natrona County.

"We'll take anything people can give us," Eberhardt said. "Two cans of soup in the mailbox would be wonderful."

Eberhardt says a retired mail carrier still tells the story about a family on one of the poorer routes in town. Mom and the kids came out to meet the mail truck on food drive day and handed the carrier one can of Chef Boyardee.

"He knows that was their lunch for that day, and they were so tickled to be able to donate it," Eberhardt said.

"The fact is there are people struggling in our area to make ends meet and to put food on the table, and we see them every day," Eberhardt said. "That's really what we're trying to do, help our community."

All food collected in Casper will be delivered first to Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies, which will in turn get it to Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Central Wyoming Rescue Mission, Youth Crisis Center, the Holy Cross Center, Joshua's Storehouse and several other hunger relief agencies in Natrona County.

"Joshua's Storehouse has seen a 65 percent increase in requests for help, and not an equal increase in donations," Eberhardt said. "It's a little bit the economy and a little bit new people coming in. They are living in their vans while they look for work. The higher-paying jobs are drying up, and we are seeing people having to look for lower-paying work and making adjustments in their lifestyles."

In Casper, the Girl Scouts will assist letter carriers with picking the food up off the street, so people should not be alarmed if someone other than their regular letter carrier takes the donated food.

Last year, Casper letter carriers collected almost 60,000 pounds of food.

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307) 266-0520 or sallyann.shurmur@trib.com. Read Sal's blog at tribtown.trib.com/Sal/blog.