Feds Feed Families food drive finale draws near

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GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  This weekend will be the last food drive here for the Defense Department Feds Feed Families campaign.

Volunteers will be collecting non-perishable food and toiletry items outside of the commissary Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
 
So far, Goodfellow has collected more than 1,500 pounds of donations, and look to push that number to more than 3,000 with this weekend's drive.  Collection boxes will also be placed at the Norma Brown building until Aug. 30 for those who wish to bring in donations from home.

In many ways, America is the land of plenty, but for one in six Americans, hunger is an all too familiar reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different. Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and at times are forced to go without food.

Food banks across the National Capital Region and around the country face severe shortages of non-perishable items, just as summer begins and children have limited access to school nutrition programs. Federal employees nationwide are stepping up to meet this challenge by gathering 1.2 million pounds of food for families in need this summer. This Federal-wide campaign offers a great opportunity to help those who lack the resources to provide food for themselves and their families, and the DoD family is dedicated to protecting and looking after the interests of its fellow Americans.

Deputy Secretary of Defense, William J. Lynn helped launch the Department of Defense third annual "Feds Feed Families" Food Drive Campaign on May 26 to assist the Federal Government in this nationwide effort. The DOD goal is to collect 733,800 pounds for distribution to local food banks nationwide.

Pat Tamburrino, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy, who serves as National co-chair of the campaign and as the representative for the Department of Defense said, "This campaign gives us the opportunity not only to help others, but to showcase what it means to be a true public servant. We are proud of DoD's support of this food drive for the last two years - our employees have given a lot thus far, and we are looking forward to gathering even more food in this final 60 day push in the campaign. We will need everyone's help to reach our Department goal of 733,800 pounds as well as the Federal Government's goal of 1.2 million pounds of food, but we can do it."

To encourage the widest possible donations to support America's families in need, the DOD expanded the campaign by calling on the Military Services and Defense Agencies to become engaged in this effort. By expanding the campaign, military installations, organizations, Commissaries, and others outside the Washington metro area, will have an opportunity to participate in this worthy cause.

Goodfellow has heeded the challenge and will have collection boxes located throughout the installation, as well as manned collection drives on the weekends at the commissary and various locations off base.  Look for updated times and locations on flyers posted throughout the base or on the Goodfellow Hotwire at www.goodfellow.af.mil.

FMI:  Jolene Cantrell at jolene.cantrell@goodfellow.af.mil or (325) 654-3785, or Stephanie Flynn at stephanie.flynn@goodfellow.af.mil or (325) 654-4959.

(Courtesy of Jolene Cantrell.)