Donations for 'survival': JBA contributes to local food banks

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nesha Humes
  • 11th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  
As of April 1, 2016, the commissary on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, has contributed 30 donations of nearly 10,000 pounds to local food banks.

As part of the Defense Commissary Agency initiative, commissaries across the nation have joined efforts to donate unsellable but edible food to those in need.

"It's huge that we've raised about five tons of food." Capt. Carlos Cueto Diaz, the food bank liaison said. "It's very important for us to get involved and build up this initiative."

According to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks, one in seven Americans struggle to get enough to eat, as hunger exists in virtually every community through the states.

The 11th Wing Legal Office assistant staff judge advocate, Cueto Diaz, himself is familiar with the benefits food banks provide to communities. He and his family "relied heavily" on donated food upon emigrating from Cuba eleven years ago.

"It was merely for survival," Cueto Diaz said. "I understand what some of the families that use this food bank are going through, so it's really important for me to be part of this. I've been there."

The government shutdown in 2013 served as catalyst for military commissaries to donate wholesome yet unsold sustenance to designated banks.  Since then, 127 stores have donated more than 4 million pounds of otherwise unsellable merchandise to 107 food banks nationwide.

As items are collected, installation officials work with the commissary workers and volunteers, such as Rob Clagett, to deliver them to local food banks.

"There are many families in this area that need help in feeding their families," Clagett said. "I wanted to help these families out as much as possible. We take too much for granted and seeing the appreciation on the faces of the food recipients gives much satisfaction."

In order to be authorized for donations from stores, nonprofit food banks must formally request and be designated as eligible to receive commissary food donations from the assistant secretary of defense for readiness and force management.

For more information on how to get involved email Linda Elliott, JBA Commissary Officer at: linda.elliot@deca.mil.