Joint Base Charleston S.C. –
Team Charleston has collected about 1,300 pounds of donations for the local community as part of the Feds Feed Families food drive. Feds Feed Families kicked off June 1 and will run through Aug. 31.
Feds Feed Families, a voluntary effort supported by federal employees across the nation, collects food and other non-perishable items to be distributed to local food banks.
"Feds Feed Families is a great opportunity for Joint Base Charleston to give back to the community by meeting the one of the most basic human needs - food,” said (Ch.) Lt. Grant Mayfield, Naval Support Activity Charleston command chaplain. “By providing the Lowcountry Food Bank with food, the local community is able to see evidence of the base’s desire to serve and to give back."
Feds Feed Families helps food banks and pantries stay stocked during summer months when they commonly see a reduction in donations and an increase in need. Through the kindness of federal employees, the food drive has collected nearly 70 million pounds of food for those in need nationally. According to the USDA, more than 12.5 million pounds were donated to food banks and pantries last year. Even as the economy grows stronger, there are still many people struggling to put food on the table.
“Working with the Lowcountry Food Bank has been very smooth, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Christian Zahler Naval Support Activity Charleston, chapel lead petty officer. They’ve provided assistance with donation barrels and food pickups. This is a good way for the military commands to do something locally to help those in need.
All federal agencies, including field components, are eligible to participate in the campaign. The field agencies share their collections with local food banks with the goal of ensuring the Feds Feed Families campaign is active in every state.
Joint Base Charleston is organizing collection and distributions locations across the base to ensure every member of Team Charleston has the opportunity to donate. The JB Charleston - Weapons Station chaplain's office is responsible for coordinating the program, to include weighing and delivering the donations to the Lowcountry Food Bank.Some of the items on the campaign's "most wanted" list are canned fruit in light syrup or its own juice, low sodium canned vegetables, multigrain cereals, grains such as brown rice, canned proteins, soups, 100 percent juices, condiments, snacks, baking goods and hygiene items.
For more information, call Petty Officer 2nd Class Christian Zahler at (843) 794-7222.