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.

After the record winter we experienced this year, spring is most welcome! But springtime also signals a distressing trend – when food donations start to drop. We at DelCor have accepted the challenge to help the food bank combat this phenomenon, along with our partners and clients throughout the association and nonprofit community.

Right now, we’re in the final week of our 8^th Annual .org Food Drive. In response to the Hunger in America study, which uncovered a 25 percent increase in need since 2006, we’ve set our goal high.

With the aid of 33 other organizations, we aim to collect 25,000 pounds of nonperishable food for the food bank this month. That’s 9,000 more pounds than we collected last year!

I was really surprised to learn from the Hunger in America study that nearly 10 percent of the metro population accesses food bank services, and that of those, only 10 percent are seniors or homeless. Findings like that really drive home the fact that we aren’t helping strangers when we contribute to the food bank – we are helping our neighbors.

We’ve been involved with the association and nonprofit community here in DC and nationally for a very long time. I’m a native Washingtonian and Silver Spring has been our corporate home since 1984. When we decided to organize our first food drive in 2003, we viewed it as a natural extension of our commitment to community – both our professional community and our local community.

Since then, the effort has expanded and our impact has grown. Of all the participating organizations this year, 13 are new to the event. We are delighted to bring them into the fold. Through the .org Food Drive, we not only give back on behalf of DelCor, but we provide other organizations with a meaningful way to give back, too. It’s proof that even private or corporate efforts can help spread the word about the food bank mission and about hunger in our community.

See who’s participating in the DelCor .org Food Drive.

Loretta M. DeLuca, CEO
DelCor Technology Solutions

For the past couple of weeks, the Capital Area Food Bank has seen nonperishable food donations decline.  This seems to be a seasonal phenomenon where donations soar from the fall months through the winter, but decline from spring into summer.  Hunger takes no vacation, so we need your help. 

You can do spring cleaning and donate any unused, nonperishable food from your cabinets.  You can rally your friends and neighbors to host a community food drive.  You can even ask your employer to host a company-sponsored food drive.   Every donation helps our community!

To make this task easy, the food bank has created a Food Drive Top Ten list that details our most wanted items.  These items are most helpful and are in high demand by our partner agencies.

1. Canned Protein (tuna, chicken, salmon, peanut butter) 
2. Canned Fruit In Own Juice or Light Syrup (applesauce, peaches, pears, pineapple) 
3. 100% Fruit Juice (all sizes including juice boxes) 
4. Low Sodium/ No Salt Added Canned Vegetables (mixed, green beans, corn) 
5. Soups (beef stew, chili, chicken noodle, turkey rice) 
6. Multigrain Cereal (cheerios, cornflakes, grape nuts, raisin bran) 
7. Easy & Ready Meals (macaroni & cheese, pasta bowls, canned pasta) 
8. Healthy Snacks (raisins, dried fruit, nuts, cereal bars) 
9. Hygiene Products (bar soap, toothpaste, shampoo) 
10. Paper Products (paper towels, toilet paper, diapers, facial tissue, paper plates & cups, plastic forks & spoons)

You may drop off food at our warehouse (645 Taylor Street, NE) between 8 AM and 3 PM, Monday through Friday.  We will be closed on Friday, April 16 in observance of Emancipation Day. 

For more information or to register your food drive, contact our Food Resources department at mcglinchym@capitalareafoodbank.org or 202.526.5344 ext. 311.

Remember, canned food goods can make a difference!

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!