Commissary patrons help drive Feds Feed Families support

Last year was a banner year for the Feds Feed Families campaign. The Department of Defense collected more than 3.2 million pounds of food and personal hygiene items for donation to local food banks and pantries. Stateside commissary employees and their patrons contributed almost 50 percent or a whopping 1.6 million pounds of DOD’s total. 

The Feds Feed Families campaign runs June through Aug. 31. 

This year, commissary employees and patrons are pulling together again to collect donations of much needed nonperishable food and personal hygiene items. Prepacked donation bags, which can be purchased in store and placed in collection bins when entering or leaving, are available. Customers may also bring items from home to donate. Donated items are picked up by the installations and delivered to local food banks or pantries. 

700 military children earn scholarships

Seven hundred students from military families each received a $2,000 scholarship this year, thanks to the 2016 Scholarships for Military Children program. 

The program, created in 2001, recognizes the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and celebrates the commissary’s role in enhancing military quality of life. 

It’s administered by Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to service members and their families. The list of this year’s winners is posted at www.militaryscholar.org/sfmc/winners16.html. 

The announcement of open dates to apply for next year’s program is usually made in the fall. Applications will be available in commissaries worldwide and online at www.militaryscholar.org. 

To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are enrolled in the DEERS database and have a current military ID card. A student must also be an unmarried child, younger than 21 — or 23, if already enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university.