TSA employees across America are helping less fortunate families and individuals this summer through the annual Feds Feed Families campaign.
TSA teams at airports, field offices and headquarters are donating food through September 30 to help people struggling to put breakfast, lunch and dinner on the table. Heading into this year’s campaign, the Feds Feed Families food drive collected more than 99 million pounds of food throughout the U.S. since 2009.
The TSA team at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) expanded their Feds Feed Families efforts this year by teaming up with Michigan’s 17 smaller airports to create a bigger impact than normal on communities and food banks throughout the Great Lakes State.
“This will definitely impact families in need for our state of Michigan,” said DTW TSA Assistant Federal Security Director-Mission Support Salvatore Badalamenti. “We’re sponsoring 17 different food banks throughout the state.”
Over the last month, TSA Michigan and TSA teams across the country set up food donation boxes to help those in need. Badalamenti said Michigan’s expanded campaign is paying big dividends.
“There’s a good level of enthusiasm and excitement in our airports, as my leadership staff and I visit the airports and see boxes filled with more donations coming in,” he said. “The Feds Feed Families event is truly a special event we’ve been supporting for almost 10 years now. It gives TSA statewide an opportunity to support those in need during the summer months. Year after year, we’ve exceeded our donations as we intend to do again this year.”
When asked how local food banks react when TSA Michigan provides all the donated food, Badalamenti replied, “It’s like Christmas in August. All the food banks are very appreciative of our efforts.”
He encourages all TSA employees to consider participating in this year’s campaign.
“Do the right thing for the right reason,” said Badalamenti. “Together as a team, we can make a difference.”
By Alexandra Valerio and Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs