Feds Feed Families Newsletter | |
This newsletter provides updates on the Feds Feed Families 2023 Summer Campaign, how to get involved, and resources the campaign’s website, aka “the FFF Hub.” Feel free to share any and all of these items in your internal communications channels (such as internal staff newsletters) to help motivate federal giving at your agency. Have questions? Email us at fedsfeedfamilies@usda.gov. | |
A Thank You Message from the National Chair | |
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Congratulations on a wonderful Feds Feed Families Summer Campaign. We have recorded more than 10 million pounds of donations. Thank you!
We appreciate our federal community across the country, working together to raise awareness of the Feds Feed Families initiative as well as donations to food banks and pantries in our communities.
Thank you - for the virtual and in-person food drives, decorated collection bins, gleaning activities at warehouses, community gardens, and production areas, photos of cute federal pets, CANstruction and Stuff the Truck events, and the FedsWISH Walk (Feds Walk in Support of Health and Hunger Relief).
Your enthusiasm and outreach for FFF continues to make a difference for people throughout the United States. Thank you for all of your contributions.
It has been a pleasure working with you on the FFF Summer Campaign and remember that we can record donations made to food banks and organizations all year long in the FFF Hub.
We look forward to seeing you for the 2024 FFF Summer Campaign. Thank you again.
Andrea Simao
National Chair
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Historic Donation Milestone Reached | |
We did it! Feds Feed Families surpassed 10 million pounds of donated food to foodbanks and pantries in 2023. Historic! | |
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2023 Season Recap
Missed out on some of the 2023 Summer Campaign events? Check out these links:
2023 Summer Campaign Launch
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Day of Giving / Stuff the Truck | Summer Campaign Closing Ceremony | The Department of Interior Successfully Exceeds our Feds Feed Families Goal | Congratulations to the Department of the Interior employees, especially the departmental FFF Champions! We have successfully passed our 2023 Department Feds Feed Families goal of collectively donating 312,110 pounds of food and we have doubled our donations from last year! Employees have donated more 338,495 pounds. Thank you to everyone who donated food and their time to this fantastic cause and for helping us reach our goal. | NASA Engineering Leads the Pack as NASA JSC closes in on 250K lbs. for Feds Feed Families | Feds Feed Families is always a high priority activity for the team at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. We know that the local food banks are here to support families day to day, and are a critical source of support in the event of natural disaster. On this anniversary of Tropical Storm Harvey (2017), our team knows how important it is to keep food pantry shelves stocked. Supported by 3000 civil servants and approximately 7000 contractor teammates, the Galveston County Food Bank depends on this annual infusion of goods. Food drive efforts culminated Friday, August 25th, in a "Stuff The Truck" event in 100-degree heat! Johnson Space Center shattered the center goal of 100K lbs., with a record donation of over 230K lbs., with over 110K lbs. coming from the Engineering team. | |
Department of Justice (DOJ)
I would definitely like to thank and recognize the Department of Justice efforts this year and I would like to thank those who submitted their cutest pets pictures…just to shout them out for their efforts.
Thanks again for all you do. 😊
Alicia Cross
CFC Program Coordinator
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Small Business Association (SBA)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the Small Business Administration for their help and support during the Feds Feed Families Campaign. The success of the campaign can whole-heartedly be contributed to Co-Executive Champion Jamie Wood, District Director South Dakota and especially Lloyd Campaign Manager Lloyd Calderon, Senor BOS GCBD and every member of the SBA who took time to volunteer and/or donate to this worthy cause. And a special thanks to Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and her team for their support through this project. Thank you.
Tim Mittan
SBA FFF Co-chair
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Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Thank you to HUD - We had a great FFF Summer Campaign. Thank you to all HUD employees for your contributions and great building.
Lisa Ghebresillassie, FFF Chair
| FFF Leadership team thank you |  | |
I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for each Federal employee who took time to volunteer through gleaning, participating in and/or running an FFF event, donated to the campaign, or just showed their support of the campaign’s initiatives. Your hard work has made a difference in the lives of your fellow Americans, as shown by the more than 10 million pounds of food donated and through the ‘recording and results’ page on the FFF HUB. In the US and across the globe, we have highlighted areas on the ‘Location of Donation Recipients’ map representing all your efforts to give back to the communities you serve. From the origins of the original campaign to help support those in need during the summer months when school is out, to today’s needs -- which are ever-growing and year-round, whether due to natural disasters or man-made ones -- your contributions have made and will continue to make an impact. Thank you for your continued commitment to your fellow Americans.
You rock!
Dawn Bartolomeo, FFF Deputy National Chair
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Food insecurity affected nearly 17 million U.S. households in 2022. Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” The Feds Feed Families program is a 100% volunteer effort and I am so appreciative of every federal employee that participated in the 2023 Summer Campaign. Even in the face of uncertainty in government operations, you all continued to give, and in record amounts, to ensure others had food on their table.
This is my second year leading communications for the national campaign and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside with past National Chair Angela French-Bell and current National Chair Andrea Simao. Both leaders have set a wonderful foundation for the annual summer campaign moving forward.
Tamara Ward-Lucas, FFF National Communications Lead
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I am delighted to serve as the technology lead for the Feds Feed Families Hub. While the FFF Hub is vital in documenting your benevolence, the real credit goes to all of you federal employees who donate food items and goods tirelessly. Thank you for your efforts.
Katie Wolfe, FFF National Technology Lead
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My work on this Summer’s FFF campaign has been extremely rewarding, and I have so much pride in how my agency, department, and federal government prioritizes this type of philanthropic work. This year, we exceeded records from years past and continue to bring awareness to food insecurity and it’s impact on people’s lives.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate and engage with the entire federal family on this effort. Thanks for a strong finish!
Caleb Gildea, FFF Special Event Coordinator
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While there were many favorite moments for me throughout this year’s campaign, what stands out most are the conversations and discussions surrounding gleaning ideas, events and successes across the federal family, from DOL & GSA partnership in NYC, BLM-CO (fighting fires and hunger), DOE gleaning in Chicago (love the Windy City) & Atlanta, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, FDA in Minnesota and DOT-South Regional Airport staff in Iowa, to highlight just a few!
I am so appreciative of the network and exuberance of the Gleaning Champions who received and responded to my many emails and phone calls. You all had such creative ideas to get the word out and get people involved, individually and in teams. My hat is off to you and your great work!
Rebecca Jaworski, FFF National Gleaning Coordinator
| Weekly theme – Thank You! | |
Thanks for all your support these past 14 weeks. Your hard work, dedication and commitment to the Feds Feed Families 2023 Summer Campaign yielded historic amounts of food for those in need.
Throughout the campaign, weekly themes and graphics are provided to motivate your federal workforce to give. See and share the Thank You! flyer and the other weekly flyers on the FFF Hub Tools page. Share weekly themes through your internal communications channels. As we post weekly themes on our national social media channels, we will encourage you to do so as well, but remember to use public-facing social media responsibly.
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Thanks to USDA and Secretary Tom Vilsack for supporting and posting about #FedsFeedFamilies through social media.
Got some good news to share about a FFF event or donation milestone? Let us know so we can amplify your events and successes on the national FFF Twitter, FFF Facebook and FFF Instagram accounts. Also, share your accomplishments and events directly on the 2023 FFF LinkedIn page
Please use #fedsfeedfamilies when sharing your good news and accomplishments across these platforms:
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