We don’t often think of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) when it comes to feeding families and children who don’t have enough to eat. OPM is part of an annual food drive – Feds Feed Families. It is an endeavor all Federal employees are encouraged to participate in. Each year the food donation drive ends prior to Labor Day.
OPM did a number of creative things this year to knock out hunger. They walked, bowled, held bake sales and set up donation boxes at OPM headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the offices in Boyers, Pennsylvania and at field locations throughout the country. OPM Director, Katherine Archuleta stated, “I walk by what I like to call our wall of inspiration. On it are pasted copies of big red boxing gloves with the names of OPM employees who have donated 10 or more food items to help the hungry in our community. It makes me happy to see how Team OPM has opened its heart to those in need.”
It is inspiration and an impetus for not only agencies, Federal and private, but to individuals all over the country to set a goal to knock out hunger, homelessness, joblessness, domestic violence, violence, illiteracy, bullying and so many other factors that detract from the positive growth of our nation.
OPM employees during the months of June and July donated more than 15,000 pounds of food, twice as much given by the same time in 2013. OPM raised in total more than 38,778 pounds of food and pledged to beat that goal in 2014. Across government Federal employees donated more than 9 million pounds of food last year. By June and July of this year, the Federal workforce had donated nearly 5 million pounds of food. They have added the S in service to the nation in a way that is inspiring to all.
It is reported that one in six Americans do not have enough food, a great many of them children. Donations often decline in the summer months; so when you are having fun in the sun remember to drop by a local food bank or kitchen and drop off a non-perishable item to knock out hunger.
We salute the Federal workforce for a herculean effort to knock out hunger.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
Dianna Tafazoli
