WASHINGTON, June 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What: The Capital Area Food Bank hosts the fifth annual Feds Feed Families food drive kick-off at its new food distribution in NE Washington, DC. Sponsored this year by the US Department of Agriculture, the Feds Feed Families food drive begins June 11 and will conclude the end of August. During this national food drive, federal employees throughout the US deliver non-perishable produce to designated boxes within their agencies. The drive began five years ago when President Obama signed the Serve America Act and created "United We Serve," calling on all Americans to contribute to the nation's economic recovery by serving in their communities. Last year, the CAFB received 600,000 pounds of food.
| Who: | Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Agriculture | |
| Ed Avalos, Under Secretary of Agriculture | ||
| Douglas Keeler, National Program Manager for FFF | ||
| Mike Rhodes, Director of Administration and Management, Dept. of Defense | ||
| U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) | ||
| Nancy E. Roman, CAFB President & CEO | ||
| Jodi Balis, CAFB Dietitian | ||
| When: | Tuesday, June 11 | |
| 1:30 – 2:30 pm | ||
| Where: | Capital Area Food Bank | |
| 4900 Puerto Rico Ave., NE | ||
| Washington, DC 20017 |
Why: More than 680,000 Washington metro area residents, including 200,000 children, are at risk of hunger, a 25 percent increase since 2008. The CAFB is distributing 33 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 27.5 million meals – this year through its 700 partner agencies. CAFB also provides individuals and families with education and training about healthy eating on a budget.
The Capital Area Food Bank, founded in 1980, is a member of Feeding America and takes a comprehensive approach to addressing hunger by increasing access to nutritious food, initiating change through skill-building and advocacy, and creating sustainability with outreach and training for those at risk of hunger. The CAFB is the metro area's largest public, nonprofit food and nutrition education resource. For more information about hunger and nutrition issues, log on to www.CapitalAreaFoodBank.org">www.CapitalAreaFoodBank.org