Feed Our Community with Johnson’s Feds Feeds Families Campaign

From now until Aug. 27, team members from NASA’s Johnson Space Center can make a difference directly in our local communities with Feds Feed Families (FFF).

The FFF food drive is a voluntary effort for NASA civil servants and contractors to donate food for those in need. Here in our Houston area, there are tens of thousands of families in need of our support this year. Due to continued impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are carrying out this year’s campaign predominantly virtually, with a focus on online donations. However, we are also ending the campaign with a no-contact, drop-off “Stuff the Trunk” event, which will be held at the Gilruth. During the event, the Space Flight Awareness team will pass out a NASA poster (until supplies run out). You can receive the poster even if you don’t participate in the FFF campaign!

Goal:

Johnson aims to collect at least 45,000 pounds of food this year. Think — that amount of food roughly equals four adult elephants. But, if everyone contributes a few pounds, the goal is easily met. 

How to Donate Virtually:

To locate a food panty or food bank, visit:  https://fedsfeedfamilies.ocio.usda.gov/pages/tools#findfb

 Stuff the Truck:

The campaign will end with a convenient no-contact, drop-off “Stuff the Trunk” event at the Gilruth Center on (Flex) Friday, Aug. 27, for last-minute drive-by donations straight into a large food bank truck. Best of all, you don’t even have to get out of your car! Just pop your trunk, and our volunteers will remove items from your vehicle. If, by chance, you want to wait to donate … there will still be ample opportunity.

Picture-Perfect Fun Competition:

During the campaign, if you plant a row, donate to a food bank/pantry, or attend a gleaning event, take a picture and submit it to FFF Chair Jessica Cordero at jessica.a.cordero@nasa.gov. Please include a caption of the activity, your name, and your organization.  Get creative and wear a NASA shirt or hat, or hold your organization logo in the photo. All photos will be compiled and shared in Roundup Reads as part of the end-of-campaign story. It’ll be a fun way to see how we have all supported the FFF campaign.

In the meantime, scour your pantries, itemize your grocery lists and start planning. It took a team to get NASA to the Moon — and it will take the same to feed local communities in need. (See list at right for the most-wanted items.)