With just over two weeks left in the 2011 Feds Feed Families campaign, Forest Service employees are joining forces all over the country in an extraordinary show of commitment and compassion as its summer food drive moves to full gear in helping reach the USDA’s goal of 500,000 pounds of donated food. Across the country, Forest Service employees have stepped up to the plate to help feed the hungry in their region. Here are some examples of what’s happening:
“Packing on the Pounds,” a collaborative effort between the Pacific Northwest Region and the Pacific Northwest Research Station is tipping the scales to feed Portland, Oregon’s hungry families. Their goal is to collect one ton of foodstuffs; they’re more than halfway to their goal.
The Pacific Southwest Region in California is hosting a potluck dinner with a theme of sharing favorite recipes and the ingredients to make them. Employees will bring their favorite dish to the potluck and a duplicate of all the non-perishable items in the dish to donate to the food bank. The recipe, with simple easily followed instructions, will also be given to the food bank.
Collection barrels at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wis., are overflowing. Our big hearted employees contributed several hundreds of dollars to support direct donations or raised money through ticket sales for their annual Bratwurst Fry. An additional effort of “Mac and Cheese Thursday” and a “Toothbrush Tuesday” will encourage employees to contribute those specific items. Gardeners on the FPL staff are bringing in their extra garden goods which will go to a local neighborhood shelter.
In the Washington Office, the Executive Leadership Team is hosting a “Meet and Greet” for staff, Monday morning, August 22, to increase food donations and cash contributions as the summer food drive nears to an end. Each of the eight members of the executive team donated a $25 Starbuck card for the event raffle. Daily videos invitations introducing each executive team member and their commitment to fight hunger were also sent to all staff. The program was kicked-off in a video from Chief Tom Tidwell encouraging employees to attend and show their commitment to end hunger in America.
As the summer ends, Forest Service employees throughout the country are doing everything they can to make a difference at the final weigh-in to help fight hunger in America.