Who we are...
Linn Benton Food Share is the regional food bank for Linn and Benton
Counties. Since 1981, Food Share has been committed to fulfilling our goal that
“Everybody Eats.” Through our network of 74 agencies we attempt to reach
every person who cannot find enough resources to adequately feed themselves or
their family.
Linn Benton Food Share prevents hunger by soliciting, transporting, storing
and distributing nearly 4.7 million pounds of food each year to our 74 member
agencies -- emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, child and
senior care centers, shelter homes, and gleaning groups.
By providing this centralized food distribution service, Food Share allows
these agencies to strengthen their services and programs with the money they
would otherwise be spending on food. The estimated value of the food we
distribute is $7,400,000.
Why we are needed...
The need for assistance is increasing.
“Our food stamp benefits have been cut, and we barely made it on the old
amount. Now, food stamps usually last us for two weeks. Without the food bank? I
don’t know how we’d make it.”
Hunger is the silent epidemic that affects everyone in our community.
One of every five
families in Linn and Benton counties must depend on food from an
emergency food pantry at least once each year. Moreover, children feel the
helplessness of hunger most deeply; they make up almost 40 percent of those
receiving emergency food assistance.
Over forty-six thousand individuals and families will
request food boxes in our two-county this year. Who are the people who
are having a hard time feeding their families? As you would expect,
senior, senior, disabled persons, single parents, and the unemployed are
all represented. But in Oregon, the majority of people who live in poverty
are working. The Oregon Center for Public Policy states that at least one
parent works part-time or more in 64 percent of families with children
living in poverty.
And, according to Oregon State University professor
Bruce Weber "The people that have significantly higher hunger rates
are our employed people, families with full year, full time employed
workers, where the hunger rate is twice as high as nationally, and those
with two adults in a household with children."
WHO we serve...
They are your neighbors and fellow community members.
“My husband and I have been self-employed since we married. About three
years ago he was injured on the job. With his disability insurance, we make $11
too much to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan. But, his insurance doesn’t
cover many of the special medications he needs. One year ago, because he tried
to stretch his medications beyond what the doctors prescribed, he had a massive
heart attack. Me…? I would have to divorce my husband in order to qualify for
any state assistance. So, I appreciated any help I can get at the food bank.”
Over thirty-seven percent of all those receiving emergency food assistance are
children. They are the kids sitting next to your own in their classroom. They
are also someone’s elderly parents trying to get by on a fixed income while
rent, utilities, health care and prescription drug prices soar. And they are
working families who don’t make enough to purchase food to last the month, and
often must skip or cut their own meals so their kids will have enough to eat.
HOW we do
it...
Community support and participation is essential.
“I think I’m like most people. We want to give something back to society
and we want it to make a difference. What I find hard to fathom is that there
actually are hungry people in our communities. But it is real and it exists-even
here in Corvallis. That is why I chose Linn Benton Food Share as one of the
non-profit groups that I donate to each month. I know that the check I write
each month is going to feed hungry people in this area.”
Community members form the backbone of our operation. Individuals, families,
school children, church members, businesses, service clubs and civic
organizations all donate food, time, or funds to Food Share to ensure that food
would be available to anyone seeking help. Volunteers provided over 160,000 hours
in staffing emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. Eight thousand
hours of service were given directly to Linn Benton Food Share to help us carry
out our operations.
What
You can do...
The most effective way you can help eliminate hunger is to donate money.
Transporting, storing, repackaging and distributing food - all take money. Each
tax deductible dollar donated to Food Share allows us to distribute up to 15
pounds of food.
* Food Share never sells or exchanges its mailing list and
keeps your name and address confidential.
Contact us:
Linn Benton Food Share
545 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Phone: (541) 752-1010
Fax: (541) 752-2348
Email: mgibson@communityservices.us
“Linn Benton Food Share fits perfectly into our philosophy
of giving because it affords us a vehicle in which to give any extra food
products from our production processing plants. We are happy to contribute a
variety of quality food items for redistribution to local people who can
utilize the nutrition from these foods. To us, this means that all the food we
produce will never be wasted.”
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