Feeding Families With a Friendly Competition

We have some exciting news to share on the Fed Feeds Family campaign front…

While we’ve already hit our goal of 120,000 pounds – which you all made look easy, we are now introducing our new challenge goal: 250,000 pounds. And with this new challenge comes an exciting takeaway…and bragging rights. 

The International Space Station program, the host organization for this year’s Feds Feed Families campaign, is introducing a fun new campaign tradition: A traveling trophy. 

The program will present their inaugural JSC Feds Feed Families trophy to the organization with the most donations by weighted average of employees per organization. This trophy can then be displayed at the winning organization’s front office until next year’s campaign. 

In order for your organization to receive credit toward the center-wide challenge, with the hope of taking home the traveling trophy, it is crucial to track any/all contributions into a secondary form we have put together for this competition. 

The steps are easy! Here’s how! 

First, Donate

There are many options for employees to participate in the Feds Feed Families campaign this year! Below are some helpful tips, but pick the option that works best for you!

• Find a food bank or pantry and donate online or in person
  • Check the needs of the local area by contacting the food bank or pantry
  • Check how these food items are packaged!
  • Check for expiration dates
    • Houston Food Bank has their own guidelines on expirations
• Houston Food Bank or Galveston Food Bank are great options for our area. To find food bank or pantry, visit https://ampleharvest.org/find-pantry/. 
• Bring canned goods or food to the boxes in your office space 
• Participate in the Stuff the Truck event at the end of September at the Gilruth Center – more to come!

Second, Record Your Donations

Step 1 of 2: Record Your Donations for the Center

Use this Feds Feed Families Center Form and follow the steps below. (For an illustration, scroll further.)

1. Select your branch – “Executive”
2. Select your department/independent body – “NASA”
3. Select your agency/sub-unit – “Johnson Space Center”
4. Email – Enter your government email ending in “.nasa.gov”
5. Select donation method – “Unsolicited Monetary Donation to Hunger Organization” (This selection is if you are donating online to a local food bank or pantry of your choice)
6. Event Name – Ex. “JSC ISS FFF”
7. Date of Donation – Input the day you donated

Federal regulations prohibit solicitating monetary donations; however, employees can make unsolicited monetary donations which are converted to pounds of food at a conversion rate of 5 lbs per dollar donated recorded at FFF Hub.

Step 2 of 2: Record Your Organization Donations for the Center-wide Challenge (optional)

Help your organization win the center-wide challenge! Please use the form below to record your donation, food/cans or monetary, to receive credit within your organization for the donation.

This should be filled out IN ADDITION TO the Feds Feed Families Donation Form that tracks donations for the center as a whole, not the individual organizations. The form should take less than 30 seconds to fill out!

If you make multiple donations or both monetary and food/can donations, please submit this form each time to receive credit for each donation you make! Your organization will appreciate it!

JSC Organization-Specific Donation Form

Additional Resources

Feds Feed Families 2024 Campaign – Feds Feed Families Homepage

Find a Pantry – AmpleHarvest Search Tool

Find your local Food Bank – Find Your Local Food Bank | Feeding America

Plant-a-Row – Harvest and donate produce from neighborhood gardens and trees. Then go to the Record Donation Form to submit your donation.

Map The Meal Gap – Hunger & Poverty in the United States

USDA Food and Nutrition Service – USDA National Hunger Hotline

Combating Hunger – Success Stories