Last week marked the end of the month-long annual Feds Feed Families food drive, in which Mountain Home Healthcare System (Veterans Affairs) in Johnson City donated 6,824 pounds of food to Carter County Assistance and Resource Ministries.
Carter County inmates assisted by transporting the food in several truckloads.
“ARM wants to extend a personal heartfelt thank you to the individuals that contributed,” said Nikki Jones, ARM executive director.
Veterans Affairs Director Charlene Ehrid and her staff collected 700 pounds, and then 30 departments were challenged to collect more. The director’s challenge winner will be treated to breakfast.
One man, Timothy Palmer, of the environmental management service, donated well over 1,000 pounds on his own, putting his department in the lead with a total of 2,813.5 pounds.
Second Harvest Food Bank and ARM will work together to distribute the food.
Amber McElyea, five-year chair of the VA food drive, said the nationwide VA goal was 369,142 pounds, and that in the last report, about half the goal had been collected. All federal employees in last year’s food drive donated 14,849,380 pounds. The drive is intentionally held at a time when food pantries’ supplies are dwindling.
Each VA works in collaboration with local organizations to distribute food regionally to those in need.
“We want to keep it as local as possible to make sure that we’re helping local individuals,” said McElyea.