Please read a special message from Nicole and Emily, OSU Human Services Resource Center Food Pantry pro team:
A lot of people in our community are surprised to hear that more people are visiting our local food pantries than did during the peak of the great recession. Changes to other food security programs at the federal level will continue this trend. The Linn Benton Food Share is an essential part of how our community takes care of our own. Beyond doing good, important work however, the food share is a truly excellent non-profit and one worthy of your support. The program operates on an aggressively lean staffing model so most of their funding can go directly to sourcing food and operational needs. They are a truly exemplary organization to support with your dollars.
At the campus food pantry, we couldn’t do what we do without the Linn Benton Food Share. We get most of our food for the pantry through the food share - nearly 90,000 pounds last year. Supporting the Linn Benton Food Share supports student food security efforts and that’s of course important to us. But as we’ve gotten involved with the emergency food systems, we’ve been increasingly humbled to hear stories about the challenges our neighbors in Alsea, Sweet Home, and Corvallis (beyond campus) are experiencing. Those food pantries and meal sites are absolutely vital for those communities. Many of the people in your community who rely on these Linn Benton Food Share programs are our student’s families - or your friends. Supporting the food share is one of the most neighborly things you can do.
Linn Benton Food Share’s programming exemplifies a commitment to local food sovereignty, listening, and empowerment. Ryan McCambridge, director for the food share, works with local growers to buy fresh produce. From food boxes for patients being discharged from the hospital to our flexible shopping style pantries for students on campus - Linn Benton Food Share supports participating network sites in adapting distribution models within established guidelines to meet the needs of the populations they serve. As the landscape of the emergency food system shifts, LBFS invites network members into dialogue about their needs and crafting possible solutions to support a diverse community of partner agencies. As one of these sites in the food share, we see how programs like these really matter and impact the nutrition and health of our communities.
We can’t speak highly enough of the Linn Benton Food Share and why you should support them during the annual food drive. The emergency food system is as stressed and strained as it’s ever been. Ryan and his team work extraordinarily hard to feed our community, but they can’t do it without your help. Please pitch in and do your part.