Paducah Cooperative Ministries Executive Director Heidi Suhrheinrich and emergency Services/Volunteer Coordinator Karen Burton unload a truckload of food purchased with recently donated funds from the Feds Feed Families campaign.
Paducah Cooperative Ministries Executive Director Heidi Suhrheinrich and emergency Services/Volunteer Coordinator Karen Burton unload a truckload of food purchased with recently donated funds from the Feds Feed Families campaign.
Photo courtesy of Paducah Cooperative Ministries

PADUCAH, Ky.—In July, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Paducah Site teamed up with site contractors to raise 27,810 pounds of food for regional charities. DOE, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, LLC; Swift & Staley Inc.; Enterprise Technical Assistance Services, Inc.; and Mid-America Conversion Services, LLC participated in a digital campaign to support the federal government’s annual Feds Feed Families program.

Feds Feed Families helps local food pantries and food banks keep their shelves stocked during the summer months when they traditionally see a decrease in donations and an increase in needs from their communities. 

“Summer has always been a difficult season for many of our local nonprofit food pantries and kitchens,” said Paducah Site Lead Jennifer Woodard of DOE’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office. “This year, those challenges have been increased further by COVID-19. These donations will help local nonprofits continue to provide much-needed services for our communities.”

This year’s campaign benefitted Marcella’s Kitchen in Marshall County; Paducah Cooperative Ministries, Martha’s Vineyard, Salvation Army, and River City Mission in McCracken County; St. Mary’s Food Pantry and Lighthouse Community Food Bank in Ballard County; and COPE Food Pantry in Massac County, Illinois. 

“Lighthouse Community Food Bank has been blessed by the Feds Feed Families program over the past several years,” said Lighthouse Community Food Bank Co-chair Frank Cage. “Since our organization operates by donations only, the program has been a big contributor, helping us serve people in need in Ballard County. We appreciate the support we receive from the Paducah Site.”

Since Feds Feed Families launched in 2009, the national campaign has collected more than nine million pounds of food for donation. 

#DOE#

Salvation Army employees Jeffrey English and Mindy Reid distribute food boxes curbside to limit contact during the pandemic.
Salvation Army employees Jeffrey English and Mindy Reid distribute food boxes curbside to limit contact during the pandemic.
Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army
Lighthouse Community Food Bank volunteer Beverly Conner loads groceries into sacks to distribute to Ballard County families.
Lighthouse Community Food Bank volunteer Beverly Conner loads groceries into sacks to distribute to Ballard County families.
Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Community Food Bank
Marcella’s Kitchen volunteers prepare meals to be packaged and distributed to those in need in Marshall County.
Marcella’s Kitchen volunteers prepare meals to be packaged and distributed to those in need in Marshall County.
Photo courtesy of Marcella’s Kitchen