Dear Friends
Challenge and change. Over the past year, these words were at the forefront of our efforts as Oregon Food Bank faced record levels of hunger in our region and bid a fond farewell to Rachel Bristol, our founding CEO, who retired in June.
With your generous support, OFB, the OFB Network of Regional Food Banks and our partner agencies distributed 81.7 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 68 million meals – to families and individuals who needed a helping hand. This staggering figure underscored the overwhelming need for emergency food in our region. But we know that distributing emergency food is only a partial solution to the problem we face.
In FY 2011-12, we continued our leadership role in the fight against hunger by digging deeper. As our lagging economy forced more and more families into poverty, our commitment to innovative programs and strategic planning powered our ability to provide hope and help where it was needed most.
Our good work over the past year was made possible, in no small part, thanks to Rachel Bristol. During her 29 years of service, her tireless vision and tenacity guided OFB to become a highly respected, national model of collaboration and innovation. As we wish Rachel well on her retirement, we’re pleased to welcome Susannah Morgan, a committed, dynamic CEO who is excited to move us forward and build on OFB’s accomplishments.
It’s been a challenging year for Oregon Food Bank and the clients we serve. But your overwhelming support helped us bring immediate help to our neighbors in need and allowed us to focus on long-term solutions to fighting hunger at its root causes.
Together, we made a difference and for that, I thank you.
Arnie Gardner,
Oregon Food Bank Board Chair
