Team Hurlburt exceeds Feds Feed Families goal by half-ton

The Hurlburt Field community donated 3,585 pounds of food and household goods to a domestic violence center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Sept. 2, 2011 as part the 2011 Feds Feed Families food drive campaign. The base exceeded its original 2,500-pound goal, including 1,500 raised in the last five days before the Aug. 31 deadline. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joe McFadden)

Team Hurlburt exceeds Feds Feed Families goal by half-ton

Published Sept. 7, 2011
By Senior Airman Joe McFadden
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- In the face of a tough economy and rising food prices, Hurlburt Field raised approximately 3,585 pounds in donations during its inaugural Feds Feed Families food drive.

The total exceeds the base's original goal of 2,500 pounds and included 1,500 raised in the last five days before the Aug. 31 deadline.

"The big push at the end was incredible," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Vaught, 1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft technology craftsman and base campaign point of contact. "I didn't expect it, and it was very nice."

Campaign organizers around base used bins at the base commissary's entries for shoppers to drop off needed items. Squadron POCs also urged their fellow Air Commandos to chip in and build their own collection points for the drive.

"Everybody from security forces and maintenance to everyday people who shop at the commissary helped out by dropping off cans," said Staff Sgt. Avery Skipalis, 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron combat arms instructor and alternate POC for the base. "We all came together as a base and exceeded what the DoD wanted us to do, and that's amazing."

Vaught and Skipalis delivered a truckload of baking mixes, canned vegetables, diapers and other donations to a domestic violence center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Sept. 2.

Now that this year's campaign is over, Vaught said he appreciated the generosity and giving spirit of the Air Commando community.

"I'd like to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated," Vaught said. "It's just amazing to see how people got together, and I loved seeing that."

According to its website, Feds Feed Families is a government-wide effort to help food banks around the country as they face severe shortages of non-perishable items. The campaign is also inspired by "United We Serve," an initiative that urged Americans to contribute to the nation's economic recovery by helping their communities.

For more information about the Feds Feed Families program, visit http://www.fedsfeedfamilies.gov/index.aspx.