NAS Whiting Field helps “Feds Feed Families”
Ensign John Llewellyn, NAS Whiting Field Public Affairs
The Department of Defense has been called upon to team up with Federal agencies around the country to fill a Federal-wide goal of donating two million pounds of non-perishable food items. The DOD’s goal is to collect 733,800 pounds.
This campaign, known as “Feds Feed Families”, is coordinated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Chief Human Capital Council. It is set up so that families can bring in food items to their local Federal agencies where they are then distributed to local community food banks. The initiative is a direct response to the “United We Serve Act” signed by the President in April 2009, calling all Americans to contribute to the nation’s economic recovery by serving in their communities. This is the first time the federal agencies have come together as one team to support the food drive.
The summer months are especially hard for families in need of food. With school being out many students aren’t getting the meals they normally would through the school programs. Since 2006, the demand on food banks has increased by 25 percent but the level of giving hasn’t changed.
Spearheaded by the chaplains’ office, Naval Air Station Whiting Field is doing their part. Drop boxes for donations are scattered throughout the base, including: the chaplins’ office; commissary; Training Air Wing FIVE building; Fleet and Family Support Center; public works building; Officer Christian Fellowship; NAS Whiting Field command building; Whiting Pines housing office; Training Squadrons TWO, THREE and SIX; and Helicopter Training Squadrons EIGHT, EIGHTEEN, and TWENTY-EIGHT.
Volunteers have already picked up and transferred the food products to the local food banks July 19 and Aug. 2. The last two box pick-ups will be Aug. 16 and 30.
“The turnout is bigger and better than we had hoped for. Everyone seems to be coming on board. Milton and Whiting Field go hand and hand, we help each other out,” Ensign Laura Faulk, an assistant in the chaplains’ office, said.
Religious Programs Specialist 2nd Class Yolanda Jordan and Ensign Courtney Brayman gather more food items donated by workers in the command building at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The Feds Feed Families program on the base has collected more than 900 pounds so far. U.S. Navy photo by Jay Cope.
Typical items that have been collected include: canned vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter, canned soups, condiments, individual snacks, cereal, fruit juice, pasta, rice, paper products and much more.
NAS Whiting Field hasn’t taken part in a local area food drive in several years and already in the past three weeks they have collected over 300 pounds of food. The food collected is being distributed to the Bay Area Food Bank and the Manna Food Bank in the local Milton community.
“I think this will have a positive impact on our relationship with the community. Bay Area Food Bank is amazed and grateful for what we are bringing them,” Religious Programs Specialist Second Class Yolanda Jordan said.
This food drive is not the only charitable campaign that the Chaplin’s office is a part of.
“Every Sunday 75% of the chapel’s religious offering fund goes out to a variety of local charities. On average we donate over a $1,000 a year to the local food banks,” said NASWF Command Chaplin, Lt. Cmdr. Raymond Summerlin.
If you would like more information on this program or other charities that Naval Air Station Whiting Field participates in, contact Jordan at (850) 623-7212/7211.
