Team Pete participates in Feds Feed Families

Published Aug. 17, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Dennis Hoffman
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Feds Feed Families has kicked off its annual food drive, and boxes, ready for donations, can be seen at a wide array of locations on base. In an effort to combat hunger in the community, the 21st Space Wing is participating in this food drive, which began June 1 and will continue until Aug. 31.

Feds Feed Families is a national food donation campaign designed to keep food banks and pantries stocked year-round.

This program started as part of President Barack Obama’s United We Serve campaign in 2009. Since its creation, Feds Feeds Families collected more than 57.2 million pounds of food. Last year alone, more than 17.9 million pounds was donated by federal employees, according to its website.

“We are partnering with a local food bank and donate the collection to them,” said Tech. Sgt. Thomas Echelmeyer, 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineering flight NCO in charge. “This year we are supporting Care and Share, located in Colorado Springs. We want to be able to support them and their initiative in giving food to the community.”

Echelmeyer explained that the most wanted items include non-perishable items such as:

• Foods high in protein such as canned meats (i.e. tuna, chicken); canned/dried beans
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Whole-grain foods such as brown rice, whole grain cereal and whole-wheat pasta
• Soups, chilies and stews (preferably with reduced sodium and reduced fat)
• Condiments (tomato-based sauces)
• Baking goods (e.g. flour, sugar, baking soda, boxed mixes)
• Hygiene items (e.g. diapers, deodorants, toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo)

Donations can also be made online and orders from Amazon or Costco can be delivered directly to Care and Share. Donating online eliminates the middle man and allows Care and Share to distribute food more quickly to their individual programs. Make sure to contact Echelmeyer, Staff Sgt. Gary Christenson, 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron log planner, or Staff Sgt. Tyler Kurth, 21st Civil Engineer Squadron requirements and optimization structural systems manager, to report the pounds of items donated.

“As military members we need to continue to be good stewards,” said Echelmeyer. “We are fortunate enough to have a job, an income and this military camaraderie — so it’s important that we pay back to the community that supports us. By helping others, we are bettering ourselves.”

Something is better than nothing, so consider donating what you can to help show support for the community and a program dedicated to feeding hungry families across America.