BREMERTON, Wash. –
A recent friendly food drive competition between Shop 11/17, Shipfitters, Sheet Metal and Forge & Heat Treat, and Shop 99, Temporary Services, highlighted how Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility employees don’t just contributing to national defense every day, they also support the local community.
Tricia Hlebechuk, lead career advisor, Shop 11/17, is one of those employees. As a career advisor in the shipyard, Hlebechuk’s job is to assist workers and help them advance in their careers. Helping others is what she does. It was in that spirit she helped arrange a friendly competition between her organization and Shop 99, to help bring some extra food into the local community.
“I just don’t like seeing people struggle, Hlebechuk said, “I wanted to do something to help my community and help people.”
In an effort to address some of the food insecurity in our community, she coordinated with her counterparts in Shop 99 to turn the month of February into a “Peanut Butter War.”
Both Shops selected areas where their employees had the opportunity to drop off peanut butter and other foods for donation to the local community.
While peanut butter might seem like an odd focus for a food drive, according to Hlebechuck, it is one of the most requested items by food banks and relief organizations because it does not require refrigeration.
By the end of February both organizations were able to donate more than 80,000 ounces of peanut butter to local organizations, to help feed Kitsap residents in need.
Based on the number of employees in each organization, Shop 11/17 was declared the winner of the contest, collecting an average of 57.5 ounces per employee. Shop 99 finished just behind their counterparts, collecting an average of 56 ounces per employee.