The Environmental Factor – August 2020: NIEHS staff unite to support the food campaign

Each year, employees and contractors across the NIEHS unite to serve those in need by collecting non-perishable food and financial donations as part of a national effort called Federal Forage Families (FFF) a program. This year’s campaign ended on July 31, and it was a resounding success despite the serious challenges brought about by the coronavirus.

NIEHS co-sponsors the food campaign each year with the 2923 Federal and Local Government Employees Association and the Research Triangle Park Chapter of Blacks in Government. (Photo courtesy of Federal Feed Families)

Urgent need, great challenge

The 2020 campaign was markedly different from those of past years in that it focused exclusively on online donation rather than in-person donation on the NIEHS campus. During cases where employees made material donations to local stores, they were asked to record these contributions in a digital tracking system rather than being evaluated by program organizers.

Bryce, a program coordinator in the National Foundation for Occupational Health and Safety (NIEHS) Office of Management, has long been involved with federal forage families. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Munia Press, the lead regulator for the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIEHS), said the changes brought about by the pandemic present challenges. “Without being able to see how NIEHS contributions compare to other parts of the National Institutes of Health, or seeing the usual bags and boxes piling up in lobbies, it was hard to know how the campaign was going for us,” she said. However, the effort was declared successful.

Reducing food insecurity

Thanks to donations to Feds Feed Families from across the National Institutes of Health, another 297,201 pounds of food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries are available to those in need. “This level of generosity is amazing, and even more so in our current context, and will really help fight hunger in our community,” Bryce said.

“In the past several weeks, NIEHS employees have donated food and money to food banks across the country,” said NIEHS Director Rick Woichick, Ph.D. “I can hardly think of a greater testament to the generosity of our institute.”

“according to the Food Bank for Central and Eastern North Carolina“Nearly 600,000 people in the service area of ​​34 counties are food insecure,” Woychik said. “Unfortunately, this number It is only expected to grow The effects of this pandemic continue to be felt across the country.”

2020 marks the eleventh year of the government-wide campaign, which encourages federal employees to make in-kind contributions such as food, services and time to local food banks and pantries.

Since its launch in 2009, the FFF has collected more than 92 million pounds of food for donation.

(Ian Thomas is a public affairs specialist in the Office of Communications and Public Liaison, and a regular contributor to The Environmental Factor.)

from San Jose News Bulletin https://sjnewsbulletin.com/the-environmental-factor-august-2020-niehs-staff-unite-to-support-the-food-campaign/