FOOD MATTERS! Ready, set, Action Month! This September you can join in raising awareness of hunger in our region FALL 2018

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1 FOOD MATTERS! FALL 2018 In September, volunteer, donate or advocate to help end hunger in your community. Ready, set, Action Month! This September you can join in raising awareness of hunger in our region We believe that hunger starves the human spirit. Did you know that 260,000 people in Oregon and Clark County, Washington, experience hunger and eat food from a pantry every month? September is Hunger Action Month and your action can feed the human spirit. Make a donation online or organize a food drive. Sign up for a volunteer shift in the Volunteer Action Center or Learning Garden. Explore opportunities to lead a Seed to Supper or Cooking Matters course. Call, write or use social media to connect with your government representatives and explain why their support is needed to end hunger. Any action you take makes a difference. Other opportunities to get involved are posted on Oregon Food Bank s website and social media channels throughout the month. This nationwide movement will have a lasting impact to feed more people struggling with hunger. Your involvement brings greater attention to the issue of hunger; encourage friends and family to join too. Take action at oregonfoodbank.org/hungeractionmonth.

2 Improving public health Nursing students build skills through service learning When people visit a health care provider, they usually end up spending a portion of the time with a nurse. Nurses help put patients at ease and are critical to helping identify problems especially if a person is experiencing hunger. Three years ago, Oregon Food Bank began a service-learning partnership with University of Portland s nursing program. First-year students learn about nutrition and food insecurity in the classroom and are then paired with a food pantry to help with tasks like set-up, client intake and food demonstrations. This component immerses students in the community, says Tanya Bachman, nursing instructor at University of Portland. We want them to see food insecurity from a nursing view, and to look beyond injuries and illness as the reasons patients need help. University of Portland admits approximately 250 nursing students each year, and students will make three to four visits to their assigned food pantry. Students come back from their visits talking about how much they have learned and the respect they have for pantry staff, says Kala Mayer, assistant professor at University of Portland School of Nursing. We see their compassion, empathy and communication skills really take off. Oregon Food Bank is able to lend expertise to programs that stop hunger early on because of your support. You can learn more about anti-hunger partnerships at oregonfoodbank.org/partnerships. Nursing students learn the how-tos of food demonstrations. Making an impact Committed to innovation, Daimler Trucks North America revamped its giving program to make a bigger impact on the community. Oregon Food Bank was the first nonprofit to receive a $150,000 donation. Funds given by Daimler power Oregon Food Bank s day-to-day operations and programs. Daimler s support means training classes for cooking volunteers and fuel for food delivery trucks. Daimler also fostered its employee giving and service programs, resulting in a 35% increase in employee participation. Last year, over 150 Daimler employees spent 400 hours volunteering at Oregon Food Bank. Thank you, Daimler, for your dedication to our mission to end hunger and its root causes!

3 PANTRY PROFILE Willowbrook Food Pantry Located in Sherwood, Willowbrook Food Pantry sits out in the country a bit. Since it is on the edge of the Portland metro area, it often helps people who live in bordering counties. Information below is provided by pantry coordinator Joan Cairns. Families served: 120 per month, which is about people total. We have seen as many as 180 families per month. Languages spoken: Primarily English and Spanish. Most popular food item: Juice and items that can be used to make complete meals. Memorable moment: I was in the pantry and an 8-year-old girl was almost overwhelmed when she saw a cake mix on the shelves and her mother agreed that they could get it and make her a birthday cake. There was also a heartfelt thank you letter we received from a client who was going through a really rough time. Food pantries are always looking for additional volunteers. If you are interested in helping a pantry in your neighborhood, visit oregonfoodbank.org/volunteer. People are trying hard Struggling to make ends meet, many use pantries to fill the void You can be a person that works every day! You know, but what you're making is enough just to pay rent and keep gas in your car, explains Monique, who lives in Washington County. She has three children and does IT contract work that can be sporadic. When school is out, her children VOICES PROJECT use the summer meals program. It's still hard to make the ends meet to getting food and making sure you have the necessities to be able to go to work every day. Thousands of people like Monique are trying to keep themselves afloat. They work, pay bills, worry about their kids and buy groceries. The people that use food banks or that need food stamps are trying. I think that's a big thing that a lot of people need to understand. It's just there is a lack due to circumstances and the food bank is helping them fill that void. Your support of Oregon Food Bank supplies food pantries with produce, meat, dairy and pantry staples for thousands of people experiencing hunger. Read more stories at oregonfoodbank.org/voices.

4 Networked for strength When farmers, ranchers, fishers and others collaborate, the community wins. You helped organizations join forces for a better food system Everyone benefits from a well-organized community food system, but very few think about it or even know what it is. A food system includes all of the activities required to make food available to people, such as production, distribution and consumption. Three years ago, Oregon Food Bank and 33 other organizations formed the Oregon Community Food Systems Network. Now almost 50 members strong, the coalition works across the state to build better food systems by sharing information, giving support and coordinating efforts. These organizations want to ensure that all people within their communities have access to food and that local farmers, fishers and grocers are successful. Recently, Oregon Food Bank staff invested time to organize a working group focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. The committee aims to ensure participation by historically underrepresented communities and that outcomes are equitable. To truly end hunger, we need to engage the whole community to develop innovative solutions that address the root causes of hunger. Learn more about Oregon Food Bank s community food systems work at oregonfoodbank.org/cfs. Come feed the human spirit Annual gala raises funds for hunger relief Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 20, and help build a stronger community. Join us for a delicious gourmet dinner, wine and heartfelt conversation at the 16th annual Oregon Harvest Dinner and see Oregon Food Bank s warehouse transformed into an elegant dining space. The evening features stories from people affected by hunger and recognizes those who support and champion self-reliant communities. For sponsorship and donation opportunities or to purchase tickets, visit oregonfoodbank. org/harvestdinner.

5 Your monthly gift keeps food, services moving Proving the power of commitment, Oregon Food Bank s generous monthly sustainers donated an incredible $1,364,521 during our last fiscal year! Your support makes a significant impact in the effort to end hunger. Thanks to people like Pam, who's been a monthly donor since 2012, a $10/month gift multiplies itself. Choosing to give monthly, you reduce administrative costs and free up resources to focus on our shared mission and deliver food and services to people in our community facing food insecurity. If you are not a monthly donor, become one by visiting oregonfoodbank.org/givemonthly. I am a sustaining donor. This is the best thing I give money to... if I can help more, I do. No one should be hungry in this country. PAMELA NAGASHIMA Building confidence and connections People from different backgrounds bond while learning to cook If you ve been to a party at someone s home, chances are you ended up socializing in the kitchen. Food is the ultimate icebreaker. Over the course of six weeks, Cooking Matters helps low income participants learn how to prepare healthy meals on a budget many also come away with new friendships and support networks. A volunteer who ran a class at Central City Concern noticed a strong bond forming among some of the participants. She discovered that the three of them pooled their groceries, cooked together and invited others to join them. All three successfully completed the course and learned skills to last a lifetime. In a class coordinated in conjunction with Multnomah County Health Department, participants included three people who spoke Somali, their interpreter, and three who spoke Swahili along with their interpreter. Other participants were English speakers. Using the interpreters, facial expressions and hand signals, everyone was included in discussions and cooking activities. At the end of each class everyone shared in the meal. Cooking Matters is designed to help people learn basic skills, but it also encourages them to discuss their lived experiences and share cultural differences. It s donors like you who bring confidence-building programs to communities across the state. Learn more at oregonfoodbank.org/cooking. Food brings people together to share their stories during Cooking Matters classes.

6 Did you know? You can support Oregon Food Bank through your will or trust. If you would like more information, call Jill Beidler at or her at Oregon Food Bank Network of Regional Food Banks Thank you to our corporate partners for your generous support! Thank you, Providence Health & Services physicians, for electing to make a donation in the amount of $25,000 in honor of Doctors Day on March 30, 2018! Pacific Power Foundation continues its support with grant funding of Oregon Food Bank s nutrition education and garden courses to help feed our neighbors struggling with hunger. Sysco Portland made a donation to Oregon Food Bank on behalf of every new customer of theirs from January to June. Their $20,000 gift will help end hunger and feed the human spirit. And thank you to the following: Feeding America, thanks to Costco Lamb Weston, Inc. Multnomah County The Oregon Community Foundation Oregon State University Extension Service Oregon Department of Human Services Holman Automotive Ruby Receptionists Slalom Consulting Wells Fargo Operated by Oregon Food Bank Metro Services, PORTLAND Southeast Oregon Services, ONTARIO Tillamook County Services, TILLAMOOK Washington County Services, BEAVERTON Columbia Gorge Food Bank serving Wasco, Hood River & Sherman counties, THE DALLES Regional Food Banks ACCESS Food Share, MEDFORD CAPECO Food Share, PENDLETON CCA Regional Food Bank, ASTORIA Clark County Food Bank, VANCOUVER, WA Columbia Pacific Food Bank, ST. HELENS Community Connection, LA GRANDE FOOD for Lane County, EUGENE Food Share of Lincoln County, NEWPORT Josephine County Food Bank, GRANTS PASS Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank, KLAMATH FALLS Linn-Benton Food Share, CORVALLIS Marion-Polk Food Share, SALEM NeighborImpact, REDMOND oregonfoodbank.org (503) South Coast Food Share, COOS BAY UCAN Food Bank, ROSEBURG YCAP Regional Food Bank, MCMINNVILLE