Feds Feed Families: Commissary patrons, employees give nearly 800K pounds
FORT LEE, Va. – Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) patrons and employees once again led this year’s Department of Defense (DOD) contributions to the Feds Feed Families campaign by collecting nearly 800,000 pounds of food and personal hygiene items.
Through Feds Feed Families, federal employees can help food banks and pantries stay stocked during summer months when the need for donations is at its greatest. This year’s campaign ran from June 26 to Aug. 23, with DeCA’s participation representing almost 73 percent of DOD’s total donation of more than 1 million pounds.
“It was only through the generosity of our employees and customers,” said Randy Eller, DeCA’s director of logistics. “Every year our customers and employees really step up and get the job done in terms of donations. This year’s campaign was only eight weeks, and we were still able to collect almost a million pounds. I’m always impressed by the willingness and eagerness to donate to those who need it.”
Patrons and employees donated in a number of ways. In the commissary, prepackaged brown bags filled with some of the most-needed items were available for purchase. After purchasing the bag, patrons simply dropped it in a donation box or left it with the cashier.
Commissaries also accepted unopened, sealed donations from home, or patrons and employees could purchase individual items in the store. Once the donations were collected, the commissary and their installation worked together to get the donations to a local foodbank or pantry.
But the commissary’s commitment doesn’t stop there. Throughout the year commissaries donate edible but unsellable product to local foodbanks or pantries around the country through DeCA’s Food Donation Program.
Since Feds Feed Families began in 2009, federal employees have collected over 80 million pounds of food. For more information on this campaign, go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Feds Feed Families webpage.
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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.