USDA-FSIS-OM-OCFO-FMD Financial Processing Center (FPC) employees held a food and personal care collection to participate in “Feds Feed Families.” Employees were asked to bring in specific, most needed food items (canned proteins, boxed dinners, soups, multi-grain cereal, spaghetti sauce) and most needed personal care items (toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, diapers). Additionally, the two branch chiefs at the FPC upped the anty by challenging employees for every pound of food donated by their staff, the branch chiefs would donate $1 per pound of food collected.
Upon receipt of the donation, Food Bank workers commented on not just the quantity, but the quality of items donated, stating “A lot of people donate items that have been sitting at home that haven’t been used for a while, but it looks like your staff went out and bought specifically what is most needed.” We told the Food Bank that we had posted a list of most needed food and personal care items and that it was apparent that people had used the list to buy food and personal care items for this specific collection. Donating most needed food and personal care items drastically increases the ability to feed and care for families by providing nutritional, wholesome food and hard to come by personal care items.
A total of 634 most needed food and personal care items weighing 436 pounds was collected along with the matching $436 donated by the two branch chiefs. What an outstanding collection! Thank you to all who donated to this worthwhile endeavor sponsored by OPM and supported by USDA Secretary Vilsack.