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JB MDL units collect food for local families

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Alexis McGee
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Some children and families across the United States need help getting food on their tables; a food-donation program here can help make that happen. The Feds Feed Families program is a government-wide effort led by the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, in partnership with the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to www.fedsfeedfamilies.gov.

The four-year-old food-donation program began June 1 and will run until Aug. 31 here.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst personnel can donate various items in addition to food products to help local families in need.

"The biggest reason for this program is that students are out of school and they are not being afforded nutritious meals," said Master Sgt. Kevin Savage, JB MDL Feds Feed Families point of contact and 818th Contingency Response Group first sergeant. "Families are still on the job hunt and the food donated goes to local food banks, which support our local community."

People can donate non-perishable food items or contribute money to the program. Each $10 donation is equivalent to 10 pounds of food. Collection points are located at various locations around JB MDL including the 87th Medical Group, Joint Base Library and commissary. Nearly thirty units throughout JB MDL have POCs dedicated to the program who have set up collection boxes within their units. People can contact unit first sergeants to find out who their respective unit POC is or where to find a collection box.

Personnel can also donate directly through the commissary. Commissary shoppers can donate items immediately after purchase by telling the cashier the purchased items are intended for donation.

The Capital Area Food Bank, based in Washington, D.C., created 12 categories containing the most-desired donation items to simplify the donation process. The categories are: canned fruits, multigrain cereal, canned proteins, 100 percent juice, snacks, canned vegetables, grains, soups, condiments, baking goods, hygiene items and paper products and household items. The categories, which include everything from macaroni and cheese to paper towels, will help ensure families have goods they need.
Items dropped off at units are transported to the commissary to be weighed. Once the items are weighed they are then transferred to local area food banks for distribution.

This is not JB MDL's first time participating in the drive that raised a record 5.7 million pounds of nonperishable food items in 2011. The installation participated for its first time last year with personnel contributing more than 5,500 pounds of food, earning the installation third place recognition among the continental U.S. commissaries.

The top three units or squadrons that donate the largest amount of weight this year will be awarded first, second and third place earning $300, $200 and $100 respectively.

"It's a great cause to help keep families fed because in a tough economy, we have to be thankful we have a job and help support those who may not," said Master Sergeant James Hart, 87th Air Base Wing Feds Feed Families POC and 87th Medical Group first sergeant.

Visit www.fedsfeedfamilies.gov/most-wantedlist2012.pdf for a full list of desired donation items. Base personnel can contact their units' Feds Feed Families POC or first sergeants for POC contact information.