The 11th annual Feds Feed Families (FFF) campaign ended on Friday, July 31. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was operated entirely online. Despite the challenge, NIH staff around the country exhibited record-breaking generosity, donating a total of 297,201 pounds of food between June 1 and July 31.

NIH staff had the opportunity to donate to the food bank or food pantry of their choice and record their donations on the FFF recording and results hub. Several local partners were highlighted on the NIH FFF website, including the Capital Area Food Bank and Manna Food Center, and on the NIH campus, the Children’s Inn and Safra Family Lodge. NIH Feds Feed Families Chairperson Timothy Tosten was thrilled by the campaign’s outcome. “This was a tough year to operate the campaign,” says Timothy. “We were limited to email communications and realized that many in the NIH community are very personally affected by COVID-19. Nevertheless, the NIH community displayed a tremendous effort to help those in need.”

As a result of the pandemic, the generous donations are even more necessary. During the “Feds Feed Families Virtual Food Drive” event hosted by ORS on June 25, Capital Area Food Bank’s Katherine Donnelly described issues of hunger before the pandemic. According to Katherine, nearly 400,000 people in the DC metropolitan region struggled with food insecurity. Today, that number is rising rapidly, with local nonprofits reporting a 30 to 400% increase in the number of people seeking their services. The recording of the event is available at: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=37929.

Thanks to all staff who supported the campaign, whether by donating food to a local food pantry or sharing news of the campaign with colleagues.