For the second year in a row, Federal Employees have come together to collect nonperishable food donations for individuals and families nationwide.  The Feds Feed Families Food Drive is a summer long initiative led by the Office of Personnel Management and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council. The Capital Area Food Bank is thrilled to receive the local donations, during a period when we traditionally experience a drop in donations.

To encourage participation, various agencies are holding fun and creative events throughout the summer.  On Wednesday morning, I was lucky enough to attend the Feds Get Fit While Feeding Families event, held in the basement of the Department of Interior.  Federal Employees were encouraged to bring food donations to earn admission to the event.  As part of the “Get Fit” event, they were invited to participate in hula hoop, golf, basketball and even Wii contests.  Later the group broke out into a low-impact cardio workout. What fun!

Over the course of the summer, we have seen this food drive morph into much more!  Several groups of federal employees have toured the food bank; others have spent their Saturdays sorting canned goods in our warehouse.  A few federal agencies have held their own cookouts, festivals and fairs to rally support for the food drive. There have been reports of fun competitions all throughout often with embarrassing consequences at stake.

Here at the Capital Area Food Bank, we are not only thankful for the food donations during the summer months, but we are pleased to see hunger awareness spread throughout our community.

The next Feds Feed Families collection date is scheduled for August 31st.  We can’t wait for the results!

In response to this need, Four Seasons Produce, one of the largest independent produce wholesalers in the country, teamed up with Feeding America and the Capital Area Food Bank. In order to take action this summer, the Four Seasons family of companies pledged to support the communities which they service in the Mid Atlantic Region. From June 26^th through July 4^th, Four Seasons Produce donated $0.10 from every case of produce sold and delivered to local food banks through Feeding America. In addition to donating a portion of sales, Four Seasons Produce also encouraged suppliers and partners to make a difference as well.

This week-long drive inspired 13 customers, suppliers and partners to contribute. Collectively, they raised over $33,000! The donations will be split among four local food banks- Philabundance, Central PA Food Bank, Greater Berks Food Bank and Capital Area Food Bank, all members of the Feeding America network.

We are so thankful for this important and encouraging donation. A huge thank you to the following groups that came together to make such an incredible donation: Four Seasons Produce, Graul’s Market, Karns Foods, Cornucopia Natural Foods, RMG, Fresh Express, Earthbound Farms/Advantage Sales & Mktg, Dole Fresh Cut Vegetables, Mother Earth, McKonly & Asbury, Lift Inc., First National Bank, AFS and Office Service Company.

This fundraiser is a great example of what can be achieved when we work together. We look forward to next year’s drive!

You can help in three easy steps:

1.  Place non-perishable foods into a bag

• peanut butter
• canned meat and fish
• canned fruit and vegetables
• cereal

2 .  Leave the bag at your mailbox on Saturday, May 8^th -your local letter carrier will pickup the donations and deliver to the Capital Area Food Bank

3.  Spread the Word- tell everyone you know to leave non-perishable food by their mail boxes

Last year, the Capital Area Food Bank distributed over 25 million pounds of food. We need your support to meet the needs of our community. So, don’t forget to leave your canned goods by your mail box this Saturday!  Remind your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers to do the same.

As we focused on keeping our families safe and began digging ourselves out, perhaps we didn’t think quite as much about those less fortunate than us. At the Capital Area Food Bank, we continued to provide food for our agencies and our various programs. When we were finally able to open our doors, agencies flooded in to restock their depleted resources. However, during the month of record snow, we experienced a decline in donations. In comparison to February 2009, food drives and individual donations were down 63% for the month.

Since February is a short month, it left just as quickly as it began. Now that the snow is melting, we are looking forward to sunshine and food drives! If you are interested in holding a food drive at your office, school, organization, or place of worship – we need your support. To begin, download the Food Drive Kit.

Let’s make March a month that makes a difference!