AEDC to help "feds feed families"

  • Published
  • By Shawn Jacobs
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  The Junior Force Council (JFC) at Arnold Engineering Development Center is organizing food collection for the Feds Feed Families food drive campaign.

This year's campaign theme is "Feeding Families One Fed at a Time."

JFC volunteers have set up collection boxes in various buildings across base, including Administration and Engineering (A&E), 1099, Commissary, Dispensary, Main Cafeteria, Fitness Center and the Carroll Building, according to JFC President Carrie Reinholtz, a project manager in the Test Technology Branch. The collection of nonperishable food items will run through Aug. 31, and the donations will be given to local food banks.

"JFC volunteers will be delivering [the food donations] to the Commissary, which we've established as our 'home base,'" Reinholtz said. "The Commissary will be weighing the food for national reporting. Good Samaritan's Food Pantries of Tullahoma and Manchester will then receive the collected donations."

Almost two years ago, President Obama signed the United We Serve Act into law, calling on all Americans to contribute to the nation's economic recovery by serving the communities. In response to this call, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council formed a partnership through the Feds Feed Families campaign.

With the current economic crisis, demands from food banks have been increasing while contributions have been simultaneously decreasing. Food banks across the country face severe shortages of nonperishable goods. The Department of Defense (DOD) is taking a leading role in the nationwide campaign challenging federal employees to donate to their local food pantries.

"The [overall] goal is to collect 2 million pounds of food across the nation," Reinholtz said. "The DOD goal is 733,800 pounds of food."

Although there is no weight goal for AEDC, the JFC would like to collect as much food for the local food banks as possible.

"The food drive provides an opportunity to reach out to our own communities and families, particularly those who have recently been impacted by the flooding and devastating tornadoes," she said. "We only have six weeks to collect, so we're going to do our best to collect what we can."

In addition, Reinholtz said the Good Samaritan's in Tullahoma are conducting a "Give Me Back My Dignity" campaign, which is requesting personal hygiene products (shampoo, deodorant, razors, laundry and dishwasher detergent, etc.).

Fay Jones, wife of AEDC Technology and Analysis Branch Manager Dr. Ralph Jones, is the food pantry coordinator at Good Samaritan's in Manchester. She cautioned against donating glass items but provided a list of most wanted items including the following:

* Peanut butter
* Macaroni and cheese
* Spaghetti sauce
* Spaghetti noodles
* Canned fruit
* Soup
* Dried beans
* Pork and beans
* Tuna
* Cereal
* Crackers
* Canned pinto beans
* Canned vegetables
* Rice

Reinholtz said, even though the DOD is spearheading the effort, all base employees are being invited to participate, including contractor, civilian, military, veterans and visitors. The campaign is unable to accept cash or monetary donations.