The summer of 2013 was record-breaking for the Feds Feed Families campaign. Collectively, feds donated nearly 9 million pounds of food and other non-perishable goods, up from 7.2 million in 2012.

Federal employees celebrated their achievements Wednesday at the Feds Feed Families closing ceremony.

“Everybody pretty much met their goal, but some went above and beyond,” said Doug Keeler, the national program manager for Feds Feed Families. “The most prime examples are the two hall-of-famers who donated twice as much as the highest in any other category.”

Dr. Fletcher Honemond and Michael Gafrancesco each donated more than 8,000 pounds of goods.

Federal employees “want to help fix America. They’ve always been committed to it,” Keeler said. “And that’s why with sequestration, with furloughs, with all that’s going on, with the government shutdown, federal employees were still giving.”

Keeler said the campaign tried a new technique this year — it allowed feds the option to purchase non-perishable goods online and have them delivered directly to the food bank.

“It made it easier for people, through today’s technology, to donate and help out those families in need,” Keeler said.

Keeler and Krysta Harden, deputy secretary of Agriculture, presented awards to employees and agencies who far exceeded their goals.

“Fired up” was the 2013 campaign slogan, and the fired up award went to the National Credit Union Administration. In 2012, the administration donated 322 pounds.

“This year, they donated 22,068 pounds,” Keeler said. “That is way above what we expected them to do. … I call that fired up, and we needed to recognize them so that others would try to achieve the same next year.”

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