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Tue, 15 May 2012 15:33:00 -0700

$133,650 contribution honors 10th anniversary of Fresh Alliance, Oregon Food Bank and Fred Meyer Stores christen 48-foot semi-trailer

Some people said it couldn’t be done when Fred Meyer joined with Oregon Food Bank 10 years ago to pilot Fresh Alliance, an innovative program to pick up fresh, nutritious, perishable food from retailers and put it on the plates of people who are hungry. But the program was so successful it quickly spread statewide and then nationally.

In Oregon alone during the past decade, OFB’s Fresh Alliance program has brought in 33 million pounds of nutritious food, providing 27.5 million meals. Of that, Fred Meyer provided more than 15 million pounds, equivalent to 12.5 million meals.

Tue, 08 May 2012 07:26:00 -0700

Oregon Food Bank seeks volunteers to help make the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), Saturday, May 12, a success. Here’s how you can join this critical effort:

Volunteer at a post office. Greet letter carriers as they return from collecting food from postal customers on their routes. Help unload the food from their vehicles. Sign up.

Adopt-a-Route. Well-identified volunteers will follow letter carriers on their postal routes and help pick up food. Sign up.

And, most important, fill a bag of food and place it by mailbox on Saturday, May 12. That’s something everyone can do.

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:54:00 -0700

Help stamp out hunger! It’s so easy. Simply place a bag of nonperishable food donations by your mailbox on the morning of Saturday, May 12, for the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive.

This is the one day of the year that all Americans have the opportunity – with the help of letter carriers – to easily donate food to help hungry families in their community. The “Stamp Out Hunger” effort is the largest single-day food drive in the world. The NALC food drive has collected more than one-billion pounds of food nationally since the food drive’s inception in 1993.

“The Food Drive gives everyone the chance to be part of something bigger than anything we could do alone. … Every can and package of food collected makes a difference in someone’s life.” – Shawneen Betha, Portland Postmaster

Walmart campaign to donate $2 million to help fight hunger

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:05:00 -0700

With just a few simple clicks, you can help bring $1 million to the fight against hunger in Oregon.

Here's how: Visit facebook.com/walmart, select the community you want to support, then tell your friends about this simple way that they can make a difference.

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Oregon Food Bank’s Waterfront Blues Festival with the best seat in the house: on stage.

But hurry. Special passes to the 2012 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, July 4-8, 2012, as well as After Hours All-Stars concert are limited.

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:03:00 -0700

Thanks to the generous support of individuals and a match offer from Bank of America, $6,806.88 was raised in donations for Oregon Food Bank, that will in turn provide 20,420 meals to assist families in Oregon and Clark County, Wash.

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Wells Fargo marked a milestone anniversary of 160 years helping customers succeed financially and communities thrive with a series of donations across the nation, including a $10,000 gift to Oregon Food Bank.

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800

It’s all about kids helping kids. More than 26,000 students in the Portland metropolitan community will mobilize to fight hunger this month – with a little help from their teachers, neighbors, local businesses and service organizations – through Project Second Wind – now in its 41st year.

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:27:00 -0800

Big day at OFB presented by Bank of America

Nearly 450 volunteers sorted food-drive donations and repacked produce, pasta, rice, oats and pinto beans at Oregon Food Bank on Monday for a day of service fighting hunger to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Volunteers sorted and repacked 154,840 pounds of food, exceeding the day's goal and processing more food in one day than is processed in a normal work week.

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:10:00 -0800

Oregon State University is hosting the 2012 Food Security Summit this month, the biggest event of its kind in the state. With the anticipated participation of more than 350 Oregonians from all facets of the community, summit participants will assess current conditions leading to food insecurity, create solutions and take action.

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:08:00 -0800

After 29 years serving as a leader in anti-hunger policy and the development of a nationally recognized hunger-relief network in Oregon and southwest Washington, Rachel Bristol announced that she will retire as CEO of Oregon Food Bank, June 30, 2012. See recent media coverage of Rachel's retirement on KGW and OregonLive.com.

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:50:00 -0800

Demand for emergency food continues to grow even as resources decline, according to Rachel Bristol, CEO, Oregon Food Bank.

“I have never seen the demand for emergency food this high,” said Bristol. “After exceeding one million emergency food boxes distributed last fiscal year, the Oregon Food Bank Network reported a 13 percent increase in requests for emergency food in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012. Long-term unemployment, new layoffs and home foreclosures continue to take a tremendous toll on our families throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.

OFB one of Oregon's most admired nonprofits

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:45:00 -0800

Oregon Food Bank was named the Most Admired Nonprofit Organization in the Portland Business Journal's 2011 survey for Oregon's Most Admired Companies.

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:21:00 -0800

Drop off a bag of nonperishable food at Jiffy Lube or U.S. Bank, Nov. 14 to Dec. 31, 2011
Fill a bag this holiday season and help Oregon Food Bank respond to record demand for emergency food. Simply drop off food donations at any Jiffy Lube or U.S. Bank. Or donate funds online. Simply designate “Fill the Bag” on the online donation form.

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:56:00 -0700

Portland fans give back locally as part of Foster the People's "Foster the Future" Tour

Twenty-five Foster the People fans boarded the Do Good Bus, a transportable community service venture, this afternoon at the Roseland Theatre in Portland and embarked on a trip to an unknown location for a mystery service project.

The Do Good Bus dropped them at Oregon Food Bank where Do Good Bus volunteers packaged 9,693 lbs of onions for Oregon Food Banks’ network agencies to distribute to families in need. Riverpoint Farms in Hermiston donated the onions to the food bank.

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:00:00 -0700

featuring former Trail Blazer Terry Porter

Slip into your blue jeans, add a little bling and mosey down to “Home Grown,” a fundraising dinner and auction, presented by Oregon Food Bank Board of Directors, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011.

Begin the night shooting baskets and getting your photo taken with former Portland Trail Blazer Terry Porter. The cocktail reception also features a silent auction, bluegrass by Jackstraw Trio and hors d’oeuvres by Provvista, New Seasons Market, Tastebud and Oregon Ice Works food carts.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

For the first time ever, distribution of emergency food boxes in Oregon and southwest Washington topped 1 million as growing levels of long-term unemployment forced more and more people to fall into poverty and to seek emergency food.

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Food Banks Report Increase in Frequency of Use

A new study, Food Banks: Hunger’s New Staple, released today by Feeding America finds that many Americans chronically depend on food pantries and other charitable food services to feed themselves and their families. The study provides an inaugural in-depth look at the frequency and duration in which low-income families seek food assistance from food banks and the agencies they serve.

Food Banks: Hunger’s New Staple study found emergency food from pantries is no longer being used to meet temporary acute food needs – instead, for the majority of people seeking food assistance, food pantries are now a part of households’ long term strategies to supplement monthly shortfalls in food.

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:25:00 -0700

Celebrate the grand opening of a new building for Oregon Food Bank – Tillamook County Services, Saturday, Oct. 1, at 1760 Wilson River Loop, Tillamook Ore.

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:35:00 -0700

September is Hunger Action Month

Oregon Food Bank seeks volunteers to repack food at its facilities in Portland (7900 N.E. 33rd Ave.) and in Beaverton (1870 N.W. 173rd Ave.).

Volunteers sort and repack bulk food donations and food purchases into family-size portions. Oregon Food Bank then distributes the repacked food through its statewide network of 20 regional food banks and more than 900 local agencies and programs.

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:03:00 -0700

Hunger remains high but unchanged in Oregon

Oregon’s hunger rate remains high – but unchanged, according to the Household Food Security in the United States report, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:28:00 -0700

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon announced today that it has entered into a three-year partnership with Oregon Food Bank and committed $250,000 in financial support to the organization.

To kick off the partnership, Regence employees donated food and funds to their respective regional food banks: 900 pounds to ACCESS Food Share in Medford; 550 pounds to Marion-Polk Food Share in Salem; and 1,580 pounds and $2,214 to Oregon Food Bank – Metro Services in Portland.

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:45:00 -0700

Strawberries … broccoli … carrots … potatoes … squash … zucchini ... peppers … garlic … apples … and more.

Oregon Food Bank was able to get more healthy foods to hundreds of families in Milwaukie, Ore., through free produce days at two Milwaukie elementary schools with the help of a $50,000 grant from a private donor.

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:25:00 -0700

Grand opening, Saturday, Oct. 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Oregon Food Bank’s branch in Tillamook County has a new name and will soon have a new address.

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:58:00 -0700

Amazing performances, perfect festival weather, enthusiastic volunteers, committed sponsors and generous blues fans helped make the 2011 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival the most successful ever.

The festival attracted more than 120,000 people, who contributed 110,454 pounds of food and $748,000 to Oregon Food Bank, through donations at the gate as well as advance purchases of special passes, exceeding the festival’s donation goal of 100,000 pounds of food and $650,000.

The annual Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Federal Credit Union, is Oregon Food Bank’s largest fundraising event. Every $10 donation allows Oregon Food Bank to move more than 40 pounds of food through the OFB Network to help struggling families, seniors and the disabled. The festival is owned and operated by Oregon Food Bank. One-hundred percent of entry donations help Oregon Food Bank fight hunger throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.

Photo by festival photographer Joe Cantrell.

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:40:00 -0700

Due to the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival and the Fourth of July holiday, OFB’s Development Office will be closed Friday, July 1, and Monday, July 4. Regular business will resume on Tuesday, July 5. We thank you for your support and hope to see you at the festival.

Summer meals are in, when school is out

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:42:00 -0700

This summer free meals are available to all children and teens 1-18 years old. No applications are necessary and all children and teens are welcome. To find the nearest summer meal site, visit www.summerfoodoregon.org or call toll-free 1-800-SAFENET (723-3638).

OFB encourages gardeners to plant a row to help fight hunger

Thu, 26 May 2011 13:42:00 -0700

Help get more nutritious foods to people who are hungry

Planting a vegetable garden? Consider planting a few extra plants or even an extra row to help fight hunger. Join Plant a Row. Launched in 1995 by the Garden Writers Association, Plant a Row for the Hungry is a people-helping-people program that encourages gardeners to grow a little extra and donate the produce to help fight hunger. Get started.

Join us for the Oregon Food Bank West Open House Celebration

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:30:00 -0700

Saturday, April 30, noon to 3 p.m.
1870 N.W. 173rd Ave., Beaverton
You're invited to help us celebrate OFB West, a new food bank facility in Beaverton, made possible by generous donations from the entire community.

Help letter carriers stamp out hunger

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:07:00 -0700

Donate at any post office until the end of the day on Wednesday, May 18.

It's not too late to help stamp out hunger! It’s easy. Simply take nonperishable food donations to your local post office.

The goal of the Oregon Food Bank Network is to collect 2 million pounds of food during the letter carriers food. Last year’s NALC Food Drive raised more than 1.7 million pounds of food throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.

Oregon Food Bank Network asks Oregon legislators to make food a priority

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:46:00 -0700

More than one hundred food-bankers from every corner of Oregon converged on Salem to ask legislators to invest in the state’s partnership with the Oregon Food Bank Network by making food a priority.

Governor's State Employees Food Drive raised the equivalent of 3.88 million pounds of food

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:51:00 -0700

For the 30th straight year, state employees stepped up to the plate to raise food and funds equivalent to 3.88-million pounds of food during the Governor’s State Employee’s Food Drive for the Oregon Food Bank Network. That’s enough food to fill almost 100 semi-truck loads.

The Standard partners with Oregon Food Bank

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:58:00 -0700

The Standard has raised more than $200,000 for Oregon Food Bank — the largest donation ever made by The Standard and its employees to a single nonprofit. The donation is part of the innovative Jeans Day program at The Standard, which encourages employees to give $100 to a nonprofit partner in exchange for wearing jeans on Fridays. The Standard matches these donations dollar-for-dollar, providing employees with an added incentive to give.

OFB featured in Groupon campaign

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:12:00 -0700

For just $10 you can help OFB collect and distribute 40 pounds of food - the equivalent of 30 meals for people who are hungry. Sign up for Groupon to learn more and to get other great deals in the Portland area. www.groupon.com/portland.

Join the KGW Great Food Drive

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:38:00 -0800

Help KGW NewsChannel 8 and Oregon Food Bank raise 800,000 meals for people who are hungry. One in five Oregonians struggles with hunger.

Drop off your donations until 7 p.m. today, Thursday March 31, at the Hollywood Fred Meyer, 3030 N.W. Weidler in Portland or the Beaverton Fred Meyer at 11425 S.W. Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.

You can make a difference. Please donate today.

Stone-Buhr Flour to donate 100,000 pounds of flour to OFB

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:10:00 -0800

Stone-Buhr Flour’s New “All Purpose with a Purpose” Initiative Aims to Donate 100,000 Pounds of Certified Sustainable Flour to Food Banks in 2011

Northwest Flour Company Brings Renewed Purpose to Baking, donating thousands of pounds of flour to Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank announces first grant to get more healthy food to people in need

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:50:00 -0800

$50,000 from Bank of America to boost healthy food purchases

Oregon Food Bank today announced a $50,000 healthy food initiative from Bank of America – the first grant OFB has received targeted to helping get more healthy food to people in need.

Volunteers honor Martin Luther King with Day of Service

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:40:00 -0800

Nearly 500 volunteers honored the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by spending his holiday repacking more than 120,000 pounds of food for distribution to hunger-releif agencies at Oregon Food Bank and OFB West.

Oregon Tuna Classic provides food and funds for the OFB Network

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:58:00 -0800

The Oregon Tuna Classic, a fishing tournament to benefit Oregon Food Bank, donated $45,000 and 20,400 pounds of tuna to the OFB Network.

Portland wins Tillamook Cheese "Share the Loaf" contest

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:56:00 -0800

Thanks to Tillamook Cheese and its Facebook fans, Portland won Tillamook's "Share the Loaf" contest, earning Oregon Food Bank a $10,000 donation from Tillamook Cheese to help fight hunger in our community.

Kaiser Permanente leaders help fill need for volunteers at OFB West

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:41:00 -0800

Leaders from throughout the Kaiser Permanente NW organization will gather at the Oregon Food Bank West facility, 1870 N.W. 173rd Ave. in Beaverton on Tuesday, November 23, from 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The group will work to sort donated food for needy families in Washington County.

Holiday cards help fight hunger

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:59:00 -0800

The perfect gift, delivered to your door

This holiday season, consider honoring those on your gift list with a donation to Oregon Food Bank. We will send cards and envelopes for you to personalize and send to family and friends to announce your gift.

Pick a side and join the Civil War Food Battle

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:34:00 -0800

Hunger doesn't choose sides. But, when it comes to the Civil War Food Battle, you can choose sides. In fact, the Oregon Food Bank Network encourages you to do so. Through a special partnership with the Oregon Food Bank Network, the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, Oregonians can battle hunger together – Civil War style.

OFB receives $100,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation Associate Choice Award plus refrigerated delivery truck

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

As a part of Walmart’s commitment to fighting hunger, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced today that Oregon Food Bank (OFB) received a $100,000 grant and a new refrigerated food delivery truck. In addition, OFB will receive a $109,000 grant in support of the Green Food Banks Initiative. The grant will enable an upgrade to OFB's existing lighting to a more energy efficient system, saving the organization an estimated $28,000 per year.

Fred Meyer donates $94,234 to OFB

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:02:00 -0800

Thanks to generous Fred Meyer customers and employees, Oregon Food Bank received a $94,234 donation on Thursday, Nov. 11, to benefit the Oregon Food Bank Network.

Fill the Bag this holiday season

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:25:00 -0800

Fill the Bag this holiday season and help Jiffy Lube and Oregon Food Bank raise much-needed food to help our neighbors in need. It's easy to help. Simply drop off food donations at your nearest Jiffy Lube or U.S. Bank location, or donate funds online.

Stone-Buhr Flour partners with Portland pastry mavens for baking classes to benefit OFB

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Learn how to whip-up pumpkin whoopie pies, cinnamon rolls, rugelach and more

Join Portland pastry superstars and cookbook authors as they share holiday baking secrets, family recipes and good cheer during a week of benefit baking classes sponsored by Stone-Buhr Flour to benefit Oregon Food Bank.

Join Oregon Food Bank "Down on the Farm"

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Slip into your blue jeans, add a little bling and do-si-do to “Down on the Farm,” Oregon Food Bank’s annual fundraising dinner, Saturday, Oct. 16.

Got a garden? Donate your extra harvest to OFB partner agencies

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:02:00 -0700

After a late spring and a cool summer, the sun is shining and gardens are sprouting everywhere – from churches and community gardens to backyards and balconies.

“Those who love planting vegetable gardens know how wonderful extra-fresh produce tastes,” says Rachel Bristol, CEO of Oregon Food Bank. “We encourage gardeners to join Plant a Row and turn their excess harvest into a great way to help their neighbors who are feeling the pinch of hard times. Simply donate the extra produce from your garden to your local food agency.”

Child nutrition bill going down to the wire

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:14:00 -0700

We still have a small but critical window of opportunity to make sure Congress does what’s best for hungry kids through Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Take these 3 actions today….

1) Watch. Click here to watch a video and be reminded why a strong child nutrition bill is so important to hungry children.

2) Share. Click share to send the video to friends, family, and coworkers through social media.

3) Get Ready. We may need to call on you later this week for a final push when the time is right.