FOOD for Lane County

Putting Every Dollar to Work


FOOD for Lane County partners with more than 20 food pantries to provide emergency food boxes to Lane County households. Virginia Pershall, 87, volunteers at her local food pantry, where she also receives a monthly food box.

FOOD for Lane County has been a part of this community for 20 years. Over that time we have seen many changes, but one thing has remained constant. The people who seek food assistance do so because they do not have the financial wherewithal to meet their basic human needs – safe, secure shelter; adequate healthcare and food.

Hunger persists even with news of a recovering economy. For too many Oregonians, wages are not keeping pace with the cost of providing for the basics needed to survive and thrive. Often a family’s food budget is the only place to cut.

With rising costs of housing, higher education, child care and gasoline, Oregon's working families are financially more fragile today than ever. Economic recovery for these families will be a long-term process.


	Nearly one in three children will eat from an emergency food box this year. FOOD for Lane County's Family Dinner Program provides free, hot meals four nights at a week.

At FOOD for Lane County we know that employment does not necessarily equate with financial stability. More and more working parents are turning to FOOD for Lane County for food assistance. Working Poor is not a phrase or abstract concept to us. Our network of nearly 100 partnering agencies and programs see people who are working and poor every day. More than a third of all households receiving emergency food boxes have at least one working adult.

We are encouraged by our success in helping families and individuals in Lane County, but we are disturbed that so many of our neighbors need emergency food in the first place. One in 10 Oregonians had difficulty purchasing food because

Through food recovery programs such as Food Rescue Express and Fresh Alliance, healthy food drives and our three community gardens, we are soliciting, collecting, rescuing, growing, preparing and packaging healthy, nutritious food for distribution to people who need it.

Through food recovery programs such as Food Rescue Express and Fresh Alliance, healthy food drives and our three community gardens, we are soliciting, collecting, rescuing, growing, preparing and packaging healthy, nutritious food for distribution to people who need it.

of a lack of resources during the past year. Food box distribution has increased 50% statewide since 2000. Those most likely to need emergency food are working families with children, the elderly, the retired and the disabled. More than 12,000 Lane County children live in poverty. In Lane County, nearly one in three children ate from an emergency food box last year.

Invest to Eliminate Hunger
At FOOD for Lane County we know it takes more than food to fight hunger. That is why your financial gift is put to work immediately – providing emergency food assistance for those who desperately need it, while supporting our work to address the root causes of hunger. The impact of your gift is felt throughout our efforts.

Every dollar you donate enables FOOD for Lane County to collect and distribute six pounds of food. More than 95% goes directly to FOOD for Lane County programs and services that provide emergency food for one in five Lane County residents annually.


	FOOD for Lane County partners with 100 programs and services to provide food assistance to one in five Lane County residents.

A financial investment in FOOD for Lane County will help us meet our goals:

increase the nutrition of food boxes

recover and collect more food

address seasonal downswings

increase the capacity of our partner agencies to address hunger and food insecurity

Even in slow economic times, no one should be hungry.

For more information, please contact Linda Weaver at (541) 343-2822 or Lweaver@foodforlanecounty.org.

Donate online
View or download our most recent annual report
View or download our Spring newsletter, FOOD for Thought
View or download Hunger in Lane County


Through food recovery programs such as Food Rescue Express and Fresh Alliance, healthy food drives and our three community gardens, we are soliciting, collecting, rescuing, growing, preparing and packaging healthy, nutritious food for distribution to people who need it.