Feds Feed Families food drive underway

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  This summer Hanscom volunteers are again collecting non-perishable food items to support the Greater Boston Food Bank as part of the annual "Feds Feed Families" food drive that runs through Aug. 27.

The drive, which officially began June 1, will collect non-perishable food items that will be donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank.

"Members of the base community can voluntarily drop off non-perishable food items to collection boxes with the 'Feds Feed Families' logo located in several buildings throughout Hanscom," said Charleen Laughlin, Hanscom "Feds Feed Families" co-chair. "Boxes can be found in the lobbies of the Brown Building, chapel, commissary as well as Buildings 1612, 1614, 1624, MITRE and others."

Officials from the Greater Boston Food Bank hope to distribute enough food to provide at least one meal a day to those in need.

Since the annual "Feds Feed Families" food drives began in 2009, the federal workforce has collected more than 24 million pounds of non-perishable food items to support families across America. This year, the drive will continue to support neighbors, families and communities across the nation.

In a memo to Defense Department leaders, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work noted that the 2013 food drive was overwhelmingly successful, as food donations across the federal government totaled 9 million pounds, with DoD alone contributing more than 1.9 million pounds of food.

Nearly four years ago, President Obama signed the United We Serve Act into law, calling on all Americans to contribute to the nation's economic recovery by serving their communities.

In response to this call, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council formed a partnership through the "Feds Feed Families" food drive. Requests from food banks have been increasing while contributions have been simultaneously decreasing.

The DoD is taking a role in the nationwide campaign challenging federal employees to donate to their local food pantries.

"The food drive provides an opportunity to reach out and support local communities and families in need," said Rita Callender, Hanscom "Feds Feed Families" co-chair. "All base employees are asked to voluntarily participate, including servicemembers, DoD civilians and contractors."

The campaign is unable to accept monetary donations, but the following list includes the top requested items for the 2014:

Canned fruit in its own juices
Canned vegetables, diced tomatoes, tomato and spaghetti sauce
Canned proteins, including tuna fish, salmon, chicken, peanut butter, beans
Grains, including oatmeal, whole grain crackers, all types of pasta, whole grain rice
Low sugar, high fiber cereal, including Cheerios, grape nuts, raisin bran, cream of wheat
Dry, evaporated, and boxed shelf-stable milk
Soups, including beef stew, bean soup, chili, chicken noodle, turkey and rice
100 percent juice (fruit and vegetable) in all sizes
Condiments, including ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, oils, low sodium soy sauce
Snacks, including trail mix, dried fruit, granola, cereal bars, pretzels, fruit cups, nuts

If interested in learning more about this year's campaign, contact Callender at 781-225-4019 or Laughlin at 781-271-2560.