Aberdeen commissary boosts local food banks with donation program

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., Sept. 18, 2025 — The Aberdeen Commissary is continuing its year-round commitment to local food banks and pantries through a hands-on donation program that funnels purchased “food insecurity” bags to partner agencies across the region.

So far in 2025 the commissary has donated 325 food-insecurity bags to participating local churches and service organizations, compared with 332 bags during the same period last year, Vida Martin, commissary officer at Aberdeen, said.

“Each year the donation program encourages employees from across the federal workforce to purchase and donate the items most needed by stateside food banks and pantries,” Martin said. “We’re fortunate to have steady patron support that makes these contributions possible.”

Community organizations interested in receiving donations request support while shopping at the commissary and then apply through the commissary’s ELMS recycling program managers at Fort Lee, Virginia, Martin explained. That approval process is detailed and can take up to six months.

Once approved, partner agencies are authorized to receive preassembled donation bags, which are placed in collection bins behind the commissary’s receiving area. When bins are full, Aberdeen management notifies partner organizations to pick up donations; commissary staff coordinate storage and handoff.

“We have members from Fort Lee headquarters as well as our Aberdeen team — store workers, store associates and computer-assisted ordering staff — who help plan and execute the drives,” Martin said.

The commissary accepts food donations only; it does not collect monetary contributions. Perishable items are kept in chill and freezer storage until partner agencies arrive for pickup, and to date the program has not encountered shelf-life concerns, Martin said.

Aberdeen currently works with two fully authorized organizations and has a third in the approval pipeline, Martin said. Leadership hopes to formalize a new partnership with the installation chapel to help distribute bags during peak donation season, which runs June through September.

“We would like to partner with the chapel by offering the bags for them to collect when and if needed during our peak donation season,” Martin said. “We continue to track donations through our ELMS recycling program for the Defense Commissary Agency.”

Martin said the commissary has been fortunate to avoid major logistical or staffing problems this year. One change has been the absence of the USDA’s Fed Feeds Families campaign — the program is not being hosted this year — but the commissary encourages donations year-round.

“Our only difference is that we can no longer use Fed Feeds Families as the USDA is not hosting this year, but our organization highly encourages food donations throughout the year,” she said.

Customers can support the effort by purchasing the clearly marked food-insecurity donation bags placed near checkout lanes. When partner organizations arrive for pickup, assistance loading bags into vehicles is appreciated but not required.

“At this time, we are fully operational,” Martin said. “Any assistance that could possibly be needed would be when the designated organization comes to pick up the prepared purchased bags to help load the bags into their respective vehicles.”

The commissary records donation activity through DeCA’s ELMS recycling program, providing an auditable trail of donated items and supporting future planning for peak seasons and partner needs.

For more information about the donation program, patrons may inquire at the commissary customer service desk. The Aberdeen Commissary’s steady, practical approach — matching shoppers’ generosity with organized logistics and community partnerships — keeps food on local tables and demonstrates the installation’s ongoing support for neighbors in need.