Food drive nets record 5.7 million pounds
Posted 9/26/2011
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by Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
9/26/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Department of Defense led all federal agencies in exceeding the philanthropic goals of this year's "Feds Feed Families" food drive campaign, which ran June 1 to Aug. 31.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council announced in a press release that DOD led 40 government agencies, donating 2,004,613 pounds of a total 5,793,446 pounds of nonperishable food items to feed children, senior citizens and families.
"Feds Feed Families was a resounding success," said John Berry, the director of OPM. "This year's goal was 2 million pounds and federal employees opened up their hearts to deliver an astounding record total of food items and other essentials."
According to OPM officials, the Agriculture Department followed, donating 1,791,393 pounds of food. Other federal agencies combined to donate 1,997,440 pounds of food.
The annual federal food campaign is a direct response to the United We Serve Act that President Barack Obama signed in April 2009, according to a press release from the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
During the past three years, OPM officials said the food drive's results have increased exponentially. In its first year, federal employees donated 1 million pounds of nonperishable food items, and in 2010, federal employees donated 1.7 million pounds.
"This is just one more reminder of the generosity of federal employees," Berry said. "Over the last few decades, federal employees have given billions of dollars to charity, and they always deliver when called to action. Thank you to every federal worker who donated."
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