While Oregon is known for its rugged beauty, great outdoors and fabulous food and beverages, it has another distinction. Oregon lags behind much of the nation in reducing its rate of food insecurity. According to the Oregon Center for Public Policy, the rate of food insecurity fell by 11 percent nationally from 2014 to 2016,… Read more »
25th Day of Caring: ‘We can’t do it ourselves without volunteers’
EUGENE, Ore. – Some 900 hundred volunteers came together to give back in Lane County on Thursday for the 25th annual United Way Day of Caring. At FOOD for Lane County, 200 people helped package cereal and tackle other projects. Volunteer coordinator Daniel Budd said the food bank couldn’t operate without its volunteers. Read… Read more »
Food insecurity in Lane County
When Mike Fleck started his tenure as Community Sharing’s Executive Director a little over seven years ago, the food pantry was distributing an average of 450 to 500 boxes a month packed with stables like bread and other boxed foods. Four years later, distribution soared to 700 boxes, sometimes reaching as high as 900. It… Read more »
Sweet harvest for Oregon State Hospital and Food for Lane County
JUNCTION CITY — The seeds of a partnership planted three years ago between Food for Lane County and the state psychiatric hospital in Junction City have blossomed into a bumper crop of fresh apples for families in need. On Wednesday, about 20 hospital patients, staff and volunteers picked the first apples from the more than… Read more »
Despite strong economy, many Americans struggling to get by
Despite a strong economy, about 40 percent of American families struggled to meet at least one of their basic needs last year, including paying for food, health care, housing or utilities. That’s according to an Urban Institute survey of nearly 7,600 adults that found that the difficulties were most prevalent among adults with lower incomes… Read more »
In rural Oregon, trips to food banks are the new normal
In towns such as Junction City, rising housing costs push families to pantries to fill monthly budget gaps Walking through the immaculate, well-organized aisles of Junction City Local Aid’s food pantry, Jeanie Burr chatted happily with volunteer Peggy Saltz about produce. “OK, so I got a cauliflower,” Burr said, clutching three bags. “Look at the… Read more »
FOOD for Lane County Partners with Trillium Community Health Plan to Grow Produce Plus and Veggie Rx Programs
EUGENE, OREGON – (June 25, 2018) – Trillium Community Health Plan is partnering with FOOD For Lane County to expand the Produce Plus Program and improve health through a new pilot project that will integrate free access to fresh produce with Type 2 diabetes prevention education. As a result of this partnership, Produce Plus is… Read more »
Lane County ranks high in food insecurity, study shows
Oregon’s economy is booming, with a record number of people employed, increasing minimum wages and housing developments springing up. Yet come meal time, many Oregonians are struggling to put food on the table in every county, especially in Lane County. The county ranks second among Oregon counties, with 15.4 percent of residents not having access… Read more »
Kids eat free this summer
More than 1 in 5 Lane County children (22%) don’t have access to adequate nutrition, and more than half (53%) qualify for free school meals during the school year. But when school is out, families with children need help filling that meal gap. FFLC’s Summer Food Program helps. We operate one of the largest free… Read more »
‘There’s no registration, it’s simply: Are you Hungry? Come on in’
LANE COUNTY, Ore. – School is out for the summer, but for many kids, that means losing access to breakfast, lunch and after school meals that are available during the school year. A long running program in Lane County was started to help bridge the gap. Food for Lane County invites all children ages 18… Read more »
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