Local food bank gets help from 82 CONS

From left to right: Senior Airman Andrew Hoffman, Airmen 1st Class Herzyl Legaspi and Steven Galioto, Mark Snyder and Senior Eric Florance, all from the 82nd Contracting Squadron, package food donations at the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank Feb. 16, 2013. The 82nd CONS helped prep over 3,500 pounds of food for those in need. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

Local food bank gets help from 82nd CONS

Published Feb. 20, 2013
82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Wichita Falls Area Food Bank got a helping hand Feb. 16 as volunteers from the 82d Contracting Squadron pitched in to help fight hunger in Texhoma.

Twenty squadron members sorted, inspected and packaged donations that will go to those in need in the Wichita Falls area.

"It always feels really good to give back to the community, especially the Wichita Falls Food Bank," said Airman 1st Class Steven Galioto, who organized the event. "They really seem to appreciate our efforts."

In total, the volunteers prepped over 3,500 pounds of food for the day into packages ready to be given to those in need.

As the food bank relies heavily on volunteers, having those volunteers come out from Sheppard to help is definitely appreciated by the food bank staff.

"We have such a great working relationship with Sheppard Air Force Base," said Wendell Griffin, food bank operations manager. "Without the volunteers we couldn't do we do. We absolutely love getting the support from the base and in this case, the 82nd Contracting Squadron."

It's not the first time the squadron has come to the aid of the food bank.

"We've got plenty of active volunteers in this squadron, but we definitely have a history of particularly strong support of the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank," said Maj. Hayes Weidman, 82nd CONS commander. "We regularly volunteer there as a group and throughout the year we have a number of canned food drives in the squadron ourselves to try and bolster their supply."