FOOD for Lane County - Christmas in July

Safeway, Lane County Commissioners, Seneca Jones Timber Company and Monaco Coach Corporation Donate 25,000 Pounds of Heart-Healthy Food to FOOD for Lane County

EUGENE, Oregon (July 26, 2005) -- Safeway, Lane County Commissioners Bill Dwyer and Faye Stewart, Seneca Jones Timber Company and Monaco Coach will team up with FOOD for Lane County to make more healthy foods available to families and individuals in Lane County who need it most.

“The summer months have historically been leaner food donation months for us,” said FOOD for Lane County Executive Director Pat Farr. “This food drive, facilitated by Commissioner Bill Dwyer and carried out by Safeway Stores, could not come at a better time.”

Commissioners Dwyer and Stewart and representatives from Safeway, Seneca Jones Timber Company and Monaco Coach Corp. will be at Safeway on 40th and Donald in Eugene to donate 25,000 pounds of heart-healthy food to FOOD for Lane County. The $12,500 food purchase will be distributed in food boxes and hot meals through FOOD for Lane County’s network of 100 human service agencies and programs.

Tuesday’s donation will include the following heart-healthy foods:

7,700 pounds of Brown Rice – an excellent whole-grain source of fiber, more nutritious than white rice, low in cholesterol and easily digested

5,100 cans of Tuna – an excellent source of protein and calcium, low in fat and often costly for families and individuals living on limited incomes

780 whole-body frozen Chickens, 3 pounds each – a healthy, lean source of meat protein

85 cases of Garden Burgers – an excellent low-fat source of protein for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, healthy substitute for meat protein

408 bags of Trail Mix, 36-ounces each – a fiber-rich, kid-friendly source of fruit and protein

“Safeway understands that hunger exists year-round – even during our beautiful Oregon summers,” said Safeway Public Affairs Director Bridget Flanagan. “We’re happy to join Lane County Commission Bill Dwyer, Commissioner Faye Stewart and the other local businesses to help meet this ongoing need in our community.”

Lane County Commissioner Bill Dwyer, a long-time supporter of FOOD for Lane County, contacted the other businesses and asked if they would support his efforts to provide Christmas in July.

“It is Monaco’s honor to join the County Commissioners and FOOD for Lane County in their effort to feed those who need it most in the communities in which we work and live,” said Kay L. Toolson, Monaco Coach Corp. CEO and Board Chair. “We share in FOOD for Lane County’s mission to provide healthy and nutritious food, especially to children, in the summer, when giving is traditionally low.”

FOOD for Lane County is focusing more of its resources on soliciting, collecting and distributing healthier foods through food boxes and at hot meal sites. “We know that the people we serve have fewer choices when it comes to buying healthy food,” said FOOD for Lane County Executive Director Pat Farr. “If we can improve the quality of the food we distribute, then we can improve the nutritional choices for our clients.”

Low-income families and individuals cannot always afford the foods they need to be healthy. People living on limited incomes struggle and frequently fail to eat a nutritious diet, the kind necessary to prevent heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Research shows poverty makes people more vulnerable to all three.

Obesity is the fastest growing cause of death in America, according to the USDA. Malnutrition is a serious health risk for older Americans, affecting an estimated one out of every four, according to the Oregon State University Extension Service. And poor nutrition contributes to a host of consequences for children, including risks to health, psychology, behavior, academic achievement and development.

“Nearly one out of every three children in Lane County ate from a food box at least once last year,” said Farr. “If we can make healthy foods like chicken and brown rice available, especially to children, in food boxes, then maybe we can have a positive impact locally on what has become a national health dilemma.”

Contacts:

Melinda Kletzok, Public Information Officer, Lane County Government
(541) 682-3747

Pat Farr, Executive Director, FOOD for Lane County
(541) 343-2822
patfarr@foodforlanecounty.org