Feds Feed Families: Stateside commissaries serve as collection sites for donations through Aug. 9

FORT LEE, Va. – Stateside commissaries are again serving as collection points for the Feds Feed Families campaign for 2019, which began June 26, and continues through Aug. 9 at participating military installations.

Participating installations help collect items most needed by food pantries and then donate them to area food banks. Commissary customers and employees participate by purchasing 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 have made available are prepackaged donation bags. Store workers assemble bags of various appropriate items. They're placed around stores where patrons can easily pick them up as they shop to donate at the checkout.

This year marks the 10th consecutive year commissaries have participated.

“The employees and patrons of DeCA really stepped up to the plate in 2018 by collecting more than 1.52 million pounds of donations,” said Randy Eller, DeCA director, logistics. “The DOD collected a total of a little over 2 million pounds, which makes DeCA's collections approximately 75% of all donations collected.”

Once collected, installation officials work with the commissary to deliver donations to local food banks.

Some of the most-needed items include:

• Canned vegetables – low sodium, or no salt
• 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% juice – all sizes, including juice boxes
• Grains – brown and white rice, oatmeal, bulgar, 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

For more information on this campaign, go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 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.