Commissary customers and employees who want to donate to the Feds Feed Families campaign for 2020 can now do so.
This year's food donation program runs through July 31. For the first time, the Department of Defense has delegated the campaign lead to the Defense Commissary Agency, said Randy Eller, the agency's director of logistics.
"We are proud of taking the lead for a campaign that allows us to showcase how caring and giving our people are, and demonstrates the Department's commitment to helping people in need," Eller said in a release.
In 2019, DeCA collected more than 753,000 pounds of donations, about 73 percent of the over 1 million pounds collected by DoD. The Naval Base San Diego Commissary led all DeCA stores in donating over 86,000 pounds.
DeCA sees strong sales due to newly-eligible disabled veteran shoppers
Participating installations help collect items most needed by food pantries and then donate them to area food banks. Commissary customers and employees have a couple of options to participate:
- Purchase needed food and personal hygiene products for donation while shopping at stateside commissaries, or bring items from home and drop them off at donation bins at the store
- Purchase prepackaged donation bags available in stateside commissaries for less than $10. The bags include Freedom's Choice products such as canned meat, pasta meals, popcorn and water.
Commissaries, Exchanges in this together during pandemic
Once collected, installation officials work with the commissary to deliver donations to local food banks.
Some of the most-needed items include:
- Canned vegetables - low sodium, or no salt
- Canned fruits - in light syrup or their own juices
- Canned proteins - tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter and beans
- Soups - beef stew, chili, chicken, turkey or rice
- Condiments - tomato-based sauces, light soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, salad dressing or oils
- Snacks - individually packed snacks, trail mix, dried fruit, granola and cereal bars
- Multigrain cereals
- 100% juice - all sizes, including juice boxes
- Grains - brown and white rice, oatmeal, bulgar, quinoa, couscous, pasta, and macaroni and cheese
- Paper products and household items - paper towels, napkins and cleaning supplies
- Hygiene items - diapers, deodorants, feminine products, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and shampoo
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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