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EPA Partners with Philabundance on Feds Feed Families Campaign

Release Date: 08/10/2011
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 or [email protected]

PHILADELPHIA (August 10, 2011) – Today EPA’s Mid-Atlantic regional office presented Philabundance with the first in a series of food donations as part of the Feds Feed Families program.

Food banks across the country are facing severe shortages of non-perishable items because demand increases in the summer as children are left without school nutrition programs.

Federal employees nationwide are stepping up to meet this challenge by gathering two million pounds of food for families in need this summer

Food donations will be distributed in the local communities by organizations such as Philabundance. Nationally, EPA’s goal as an agency is to collect 100,000 pounds.

EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin presented a partial donation today to Philabundance Executive Director Bill Clark in a ceremony held at EPA’s Public Information Center. Employee donations will continue to be collected until Aug. 31.

“While protecting public health is at the core of our mission, I’m very proud of our employees for stepping up to help the needy in our communities” said Garvin. “This isn’t the first time EPA and Philabundance have worked together to feed the hungry. Our region has been conducting food drives with Philabundance for more than five years. The voluntary donations come from our EPA staff.”

Philabundance is also an EPA sustainability partner which is helping the organization put more meals on more tables by identifying sustainable practices. These practices may reduce their operating costs while providing positive benefits for the environment.”

“EPA has been a longtime supporter and partner of Philabundance,” said Bill Clark, Philabundance president and executive director. “Feds Feed Families comes during a time when families’ budgets must be stretched further as meal programs are harder to access when school is out.”

Philabundance was created in 1984 with the simple belief that no one should go hungry. Philabundance provides food to approximately 65,000 people per week through direct services and a network of 500 member agencies including emergency food kitchens, food cupboards, senior centers, and more.

Feds Feed Families is a government-wide effort led by the Chief Human Capitols Officers Council in partnership with the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For more information on Feds Feeds Families go to: www.fedsfeedfamalies.gov
For more information on Philabundance go to: www.philabundance.org