5th Annual Feds Feed Families food drive helps Carson City pantries

The 5th Annual Feds Feed Families Food Drive to benefit the hungry in Carson City brought in 3,067 pounds of food over the summer, including 1,421 pounds of fresh produce at the 3rd and Curry St. Farmers Market. All donations benefitted the Ron Wood Family Resource Center and Friends In Service Helping.

“We are lucky to have Linda Marrone as Carson City Farmer’s Market Manager, working with us to make this food drive a success,” said USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Sarah Adler. “We owe her and the farmers a bounty of thanks.”

The drive is organized through the voluntary efforts of employees. Participating agencies in Carson City included the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey, Nevada State Department of Motor Vehicles, the General Services Administration and USDA Rural Development.

Agency staff volunteered at a booth at the farmer’s market and coordinated a “CAN-Struction Challenge” in which staff at participating agencies built the Tahoe Dam, a town made of cans, and a stream survey gauging station — all out of donated canned and dried food. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation won the Challenge in the weight category, with 496 pounds of food, USDA was second with 314 pounds and U.S. Geological Survey was third with 232 pounds of food.

Local pantry managers always need donations of canned and dry food to meet the high demand in the area. One out of every five children in Nevada lives in poverty and is hungry. Local food pantries like FISH and Ron Wood Family Resource Center provide emergency rations, and Food For Thought, another local food pantry, supports a weekend backpack program to assist hungry children with weekend food supplies. The FISH Food Pantry is located at 138 E. Long St., the Ron Wood Family Resource Center is located at 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite 62. Food For Thought is located at 3246 N. Carson St., Suite 118.