Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

Tech. Sgt. Kevin Finegan, 362nd Training Squadron, carries a box of donated nonperishable food to a drop-off location as part of the Feds Feed Families campaign at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. The three-week campaign saw Sheppard organizations donate about 4,000 pounds of food, which equates to 1,300 meals. The food drive benefited the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Robert McIlrath)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

A 364th Training Squadron Airman in training carries canned goods to a box trailer at a collection point during the Feds Feed Families campaign at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. About 4,000 pounds of nonperishable goods were donated to the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank in Wichita Falls, Texas, during the food drive. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Megan Morrissey)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

Airmen from the 364th Training Squadron pose with a load of canned goods they are dropping off at a collection point as part of a Feds Feed Families campaign at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. About 4,000 pounds of food was collected during the three-week drive that benefits the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, whose area of responsibility is larger than Massachusetts. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Megan Morrissey)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

364th Training Squadron Airmen in training box up a pickup truck bed full of canned goods at a collection point during the Feds Feed Families campaign at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. The three-week campaign saw 28 organization come together to donate about 4,000 pounds of food, which equates to about 1,300 meals. The food drive benefited the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank in Wichita Falls, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Megan Morrissey)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

82nd Training Wing Airmen in training box up canned goods at the Wichita Falls AreaFood Bank in Wichita Falls, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. Sheppard held a base-wide food drive for the Feds Feed Families initiative from Sept. 24-Oct. 18. Sheppard organizations donated 4,000 pounds of canned goods, which equals up to 1,300 meals. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Pedro Tenorio)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

A 366th Training Squadron Airman in training carries a case of water and mandarin oranges onto a box trailer during the Feds Feed Families campaign at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. Twenty-eight units, organizations and agencies donated about 4,000 pounds of nonperishable goods during the three-week food drive, which benefited the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank in Wichita Falls, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Robert McIlrath)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

82nd Training Wing Airmen in Training box up canned goods at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. Sheppard held a base wide food drive for the Feds Feed Families initiative that ran from Sept. 24-Oct. 18. Sheppard raised about 4,000 pounds of canned goods, which equals up to 1,300 meals. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Pedro Tenorio)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

Airman 1st Class Rebekaira Dickerson, left, and Airman Nicholas Kong, 366th Training Squadron Airmen in training, load up canned goods their squadron donated for the Feds Feed Families Food campaign at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 22, 2018. Dickerson and her wingman Airman Devin McCloskey spearheaded the 366th's donation efforts. They managed to raise around $1,500 and purchased roughly 1,350 pounds of food to donate. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Pedro Tenorio)

Feds Feed Families 2018 campaign

From left, Airman Albert Leach, Airman Jeremy Lariviere, 364th Training Squadron Airmen in training, and Tech. Sgt. Ryan Sison, 364th TRS military training leader, pose for a picture with a food sculpture at the 364th TRS's dorms on Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 19, 2018. Lariviere and Leach and other Airmen who could not make it to the photo, spent four hours making their sculpture, named the "Canninator," for the Feds Feed Families sculpture contest. The 364th was named the winner. (U.S. Air Force photo Airman 1st Class Pedro Tenorio)

Sheppard donates 4,000 pounds of food during campaign

Published Oct. 22, 2018
By John Ingle
82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Wichita Falls in North Texas is known as a city that loves its military community, taking every opportunity possible to show its support for its neighbors in blue.

The tables turned Oct. 22, 2018, when Airmen from Sheppard AFB unloaded about 4,000 pounds of nonperishable food items at the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank as part of the base’s inaugural Feds Feed Families campaign. That amount of food equates to about 1,300 meals for families in need in the WFAFB’s catchment area of 10,731 square miles, which is bigger than Massachusetts.

Kara Nickens, WFAFB CEO for a little more than a year, said it was very heartwarming to see the truck of food pull up and about 20 Airmen in training arrive to help unload the boxes of canned and dried goods.

“They’re already serving our country, but they also want to give back to those in their community, and that touches your heart more than anything and to know the difference they’re going to make in their community,” she said. “Our inventory is extremely low right now and with all the disasters going on right now, a lot of the food is probably going to be diverted to other areas, so this is going to go a long way in helping us be able to feed people in need here at the holidays when the need is so great.”

The food drive at Sheppard began Sept. 24 with about 28 units, organizations and agencies participating. Several provided sizable hauls during the event, but perhaps the most surprising turnout came from Airmen just beginning their Air Force careers.

“Our training squadrons stepped up big time during Feds Feed Families, especially at drop-off locations inside their dormitories,” said Kimberly Parker, 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs deputy director. “A lot of the success we had during this first drive is because our youngest of Airmen took on this challenge of helping fight hunger in North Texas.”

The 363rd, 364th and 366th Training squadrons were among the top producers during the roughly three-week donation period. The 364th TRS was named the food sculpture winner with their adaptation of a military bunker with the squadron shield in front.

The WFAFB distributed more than 3.4 million pounds of food to its 12-county area in 2017 including about 1.8 million in Wichita County alone. Nickens said the WFAFB works with about 200 partner agencies in their region to get food to those in need, which is about 5,300 individuals weekly.