Feds Feed Families: Commissaries again lead DOD donations
Note: To see photos related to Feds Feed Families on DeCA’s Flickr page, go to
https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/sets/72157673250194807.
FORT LEE, Va. – The Defense Commissary Agency has again led collection totals for the Department of Defense’s contributions to the annual “Feds Feed Families” campaign, accounting for about 75 percent of the Departments’ total.
Feds Feed Families was created as a part of former President Obama’s “United We Serve” campaign in 2009, encouraging federal employees across government to donate and help food banks remain stocked through the summer months.
“The employees and patrons of the Defense Commissary Agency really stepped up to the plate for 2018 by collecting more than 1.52 million pounds of donations for this year's campaign,” said Randy Eller, chief of DeCA’s U.S. distribution, equipment, property and recycling division. “The DOD collected a total of a little over 2 million pounds, which makes DeCA's collections approximately 75 percent of all donations collected.”
During the campaign, commissary customers and employees were able to purchase much-needed food and personal hygiene products for donation while shopping at the commissary, or bring items from home and drop them off at the store. Another option commissaries made available were prepackaged donation bags. Store workers assembled bags of various sizes; these packages were then placed around the stores where patrons could easily pick them up as they shopped and then donate them at the checkout.
Remarkably, DeCA just about equaled its donations total from last year – which had been a record – in little more than half the time. “This year's campaign only ran for 66 days, Aug. 10 through Oct. 18, versus the normal 120 days of June through September. Even with the late start we still managed remarkable results,” Eller explained.
DeCA and the commissaries remain committed to the program for the long term, said Eller. “Over the course of the last six years DeCA patrons and employees have collected approximately 7.3 million pounds for this worthy cause and will continue to lead the way for the DOD to support those in need.”
-DeCA-
-- By Mike Perron, DeCA public affairs specialist
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.