DOE employees donate more than 11,000 pounds of food to Second Harvest

U.S. Department of Energy employees donated 11,437 pounds of food on Thursday to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.

The donation was part of the national Feds Feed Families campaign, a press release said.

“This is the third year the DOE’s Oak Ridge site has participated in the annual summer campaign, which helps replenish local food banks and raises awareness about the prevalence of hunger nationally,” the release said.

Under the direction of DOE’s local federal employee mentor program, more than 11,000 pounds of food has been donated for three consecutive years, the release said.

“It is very encouraging to see the way our co-workers have embraced and supported this initiative,” said Aaron White, a mentor program participant who coordinated this year’s food drive. “Despite other commitments and responsibilities, our co-workers remained attentive to the needs of the less fortunate and provided assistance.”

DOE employees gave all food donations to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, which provides food, services, and education to an 18-county area. Donations to Second Harvest support the nonprofit organization’s mission to meet the nutritional needs of people at risk of hunger.

“Our annual donations, through programs like the Feds Feed Families program, are an excellent reflection of our employees’ involvement and concern for the well-being of East Tennessee,” Oak Ridge Office Manager Larry Kelly said.

Since the program began in 2009, the Feds Feed Families campaign has collected more than 8 million pounds of food and non-perishable items nationally. More information about the initiative is available at www.fedsfeedfamilies.gov.