The federal government kicked off its second annual “Feds Feed Families” food drive on Monday, June 21. The Office of Personnel Management, which is leading the efforts, is partnering with a variety of federal agencies and departments, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to encourage federal employees to donate non-perishable food items to the drive. This year, the USDA has expanded its version of the drive to include “farmers and friends,” adding a focus on fresh, locally grown produce.
The drive will continue through August 31. Collections will occur on the last weekday of each month, and donations from the D.C. area will be delivered to the Capital Area Food Bank.
CAFB is the largest nonprofit hunger and nutrition education resource in the National Capital Region. It distributes 23 million pounds of food annually to more than 383,000 people through partner agencies. Its central food pantries are in Washington, D.C., and Lorton, Va. CAFB reports that calls to its Hunger Lifeline have increased 71 percent between 2008 and 2009, an indication of the ever-increasing need in the area.
The 2010 food drive is a nationwide effort, so the USDA is encouraging its field offices across the country to participate by donating to a local food bank.
To ensure that fresh produce is included in this effort, the USDA requests donations from community gardens and farmers’ markets as well as the USDA’s own People’s Garden. Fresh produce will be picked up each Friday and delivered to the D.C. Central Kitchen. Furthermore, as healthy eating is a focus of this food drive, an emphasis has been placed on donating healthy food items and items high in protein.
The food drive began as a response to President Obama’s United We Serve Act, a call to Americans to contribute to the nation’s economic recovery by serving in their communities.
The Act, signed in June 2009, encouraged a summer dedicated to volunteerism and community service focused on four key areas: energy and the environment, education, health and community renewal. The USDA has taken the opportunity that the food drive presents to tie in its own goals of promoting nutrition and healthy families.
“Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families” comes at a key time of year as contributions to food banks across the country decrease during the summer months and school nutrition programs come to an end. According to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2006 to 2008, more than 641,000 Washington-area residents— one in six—are at risk of being hungry.
The economic difficulties that the United States continues to experience have placed a huge burden on many families. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack noted in a memo to the USDA on June 22, “While the needs of our hungry neighbors are especially great in the summer months, our opportunity to make a difference in their lives is also great.” Last summer, federal employees around the country donated more than 1 million pounds of nonperishable goods and daily essentials for those in need. The new goal for 2010 across the federal government is 1.2 million pounds of nonperishable items.
Each week of the food drive has a different theme, such as soups and stews and sources of protein. The entire schedule is listed below. Community participation is welcomed, and the USDA hopes to partner with D.C.-area businesses as “friends” of the food drive.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Rhonda Brown, Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Outreach Coordinator with USDA Rural Development, at 202-692-0295 or via email at rhonda[email protected].
