FEDS FEED FAMILIES KICK OFF: Commissaries lead DOD effort to encourage employees, patrons to participate in donations to food banks, pantries

NOTE: To see a DeCA video related to this release, click here.

FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – June 26 marks the kickoff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 14th annual Feds Feed Families (FFF) campaign, which encourages employees from across the entire federal government to give in-kind contributions – food, services and time – to food banks and pantries.

This year’s campaign runs through Sept. 29, and is the fourth year the Department of Defense has designated the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to lead its effort.

“We’re excited to launch this year’s campaign,” said Doug Nomura, chief of DeCA’s Logistics and Sustainment Division. “We are fortunate to receive great support across the Department of Defense and from our commissary shoppers.”

According to the USDA, almost 34 million people in the U.S., including 5 million children, were food insecure in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting effects and food price inflation continue to exacerbate the problem in 2023.

The 2022 Feds Feed Families campaign brought in approximately 7.8 million pounds of grocery donations to food banks across the nation. The Department of Defense’s share of that total was 4.7 million pounds - an increase of more than 27 percent from 2021. DeCA’s share of the DOD total was 3.2 million pounds, an increase of more than 33 percent, year-over-year.

Since Feds Feed Families launched in 2009, more than 107 million pounds of food have been collected for donation.

Commissaries on participating stateside military installations help collect those items indicated as most-needed by food pantries and then donate them to food banks local to their area. Eligible commissary customers and employees have a number of options to participate this year:

• by bringing items from home and dropping them off at donation bins at the store;

• by purchasing needed food for donation while shopping at commissaries;

• by purchasing standardized, prepackaged donation bags available in stateside commissaries in one of two monetary amounts, including $15 or $25.

• by purchasing a $15 or $25 donation bag through DeCA’s online ordering Commissary

  CLICK2GO service.

Donation bags contain Commissary Store Brand items such as Freedom’s Choice products, including canned meat, canned vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce and other items.

Once collected, installation officials work closely with commissaries to deliver the donations directly to local food banks.

Some items most-needed items include:

• Canned vegetables – low sodium or no salt preferred

• Canned fruits – in light syrup or their own juices

• Canned proteins – tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter and beans

• Soups – beef stew, chili, chicken, turkey or rice

• Condiments – tomato-based sauces, light soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, salad dressing or oils

• Snacks – individually packed snacks, trail mix, dried fruit, granola and cereal bars

• Multigrain cereals

• 100 percent juice – all sizes, including juice boxes

• Grains – brown and white rice, oatmeal, quinoa, couscous, pasta, and macaroni and cheese

• Paper products and household items – paper towels, napkins and cleaning supplies

• Hygiene items – diapers, deodorants, feminine products, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and shampoo

“The annual Feds Feed Families food drive is still one of the best ways for commissaries and military families to give back to the community,” said Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to DeCA’s director. “Working with garrison and base commanders and their chaplains’ offices, these donations can make it to the hands of those in need, including our own active duty service members and families who can also benefit.”

You can view a DeCA-produced video kicking off the DOD effort on the Vimeo streaming service. For more information on this campaign, please visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website.

-DeCA-

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.