Feds Feed Families
2016 "Feds Fighting Hunger" by Supporting Feds Feed Families
USDA once again will lead the 2016 Feds Feed Families (FFF) campaign with the support of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council and other agency partners. The campaign will officially begin on June 1, 2016 and run through August 31, 2016. The celebratory national kick off will take place at the Capital Area Food Bank on June 10.
Launched in 2009 as part of President Obama's United We Serve campaign, Feds Feed Families was designed to help food banks and pantries stay stocked during summer months when they traditionally see a decrease in donations and an increase in need. In Washington, D.C., the Capital Area Food Bank receives collections and distributes them through its network of more than 500 partner organizations. Through the amazing generosity of federal employees, since 2009 the food drive has collected nearly 57.2 million pounds of food for those in need. Last year alone, more than 17.9 million pounds were donated and provided to food banks and pantries. Even as the economy grows stronger, there are still too many people struggling to put food on the table.
All Federal agencies, including field components, are asked to participate in the campaign. The field agencies will share their collections with their local food banks with the goal of ensuring that the FFF campaign will stretch across America and be visible and active in every state.
As in every year, employees are asked to bring non-perishable food items and place them into a designated collection box located in the Federal workplace or take them directly to a local food bank. Donations of fresh food (fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts) can be made directly to a food pantry in your community - please visit www.ampleharvest.org
to find one near you.
Learn more about most wanted items in area food banks from the Capital Area Food Bank. For those outside of the National Capital Area, visit www.feedingamerica.org for a list of regional food banks (non-perishable food only) or www.ampleharvest.org, for a list of local food pantries (fresh produce as well as non-perishable food) in your area to partner with and to send donations. They assist with arranging pick-up and weighing of your donations.
In 2016, as part of Feds Feed Families, employees are encouraged to take advantage of gleaning (clearing fields of unused produce). Field employees can reach out to Society of St. Andrew for gleaning opportunities in their area. The Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network (MAGNET) is another great partner at www.midatlanticgleaningnetwork.org. Volunteers can pick, sort and deliver fresh produce to food banks, churches and other partners.
The 2016 Feds Feed Families Gleaning App is an application to help everyone in government service know about different volunteer opportunities to support food banks and food pantries and other non-profit agencies across the country during the Feds Feed Families Campaign and can be accessed at the following link: www.fs.fed.us/fedsfeedfamilies/app.
Thank you for the work that you do to help your neighbors. We look forward to another exciting and successful FFF campaign! Share your progress, stories and photos on social media using the hashtag #FedsFeedFamilies.
Follow us on Twitter @TKOHUNGER or like us on Facebook for the latest updates from this season's campaign.
Linda Cronin, 2016 Feds Feed Families National Program Manager, 202-690-1299