Who we are

Our mission
To eliminate hunger and its root causes … because no one should be hungry.

What is Oregon Food Bank?
Oregon Food Bank is a nonprofit, charitable organization. It is the hub of the Oregon Food Bank Network, a statewide network of 20 regional food banks and 991 agencies and programs serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash.

Oregon Food Bank recovers food from farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, individuals and government sources. It then delivers that food to 20 regional food banks covering OFB’s service area. Regional food banks distribute this food and additional resources from local donations to nonprofit programs serving low-income people in their communities.

Sixteen of the 20 regional food banks are independent charitable organizations. OFB directly operates the four regional food banks serving the Portland metro area, southeast Oregon and Tillamook County. Those four centers distribute food to 348 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other programs helping low-income individuals in Clackamas, Clark, Multnomah, Washington, Harney, Malheur and Tillamook counties.

OFB also works to eliminate the root causes of hunger through advocacy, nutrition education, learning gardens and public education.

Who’s hungry?
Hunger remains a huge problem in Oregon and Clark County, Wash. Those most likely to need emergency food are families and children. Most adults who receive emergency food are working, retired or disabled. And two-parent families make up the largest group of those receiving emergency food.

In an average month, an estimated 192,000 people eat meals from an emergency food box provided by the Oregon Food Bank Network of 365 food pantries. A typical food box provides a three-to-five day supply of groceries. In addition, 176 soup kitchens and shelters provided 4-million emergency meals and 378 other agencies helped more than 80,000 people.

Last year, Oregon Food Bank collected and distributed 32.7-million pounds of food. In total, the Oregon Food Bank Network of 991 agencies distributed 57.7-million pounds of food.

Why are people hungry?

People are hungry because they don't make enough money to cover basic living costs.

• 47 percent of households had at least one member working. That’s up from 43 percent in 2004 and 37 percent in 1996.

• Nearly a third of emergency food box recipients say they need help because their wages are too low. This is major change from 2002 during the economic downturn when 19 percent of recipients named low wages as a reason for needing help.
• 78 percent of households reported incomes less than 50 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
• 38 percent cite higher wages as critical to improving their situation.
• Nearly two-thirds of the new jobs created since the end of the last economic boom pay less that $30,000 a year. Moreover a smaller share of workers in Oregon has employers who pay something towards health insurance compared to just a few years ago.
  
  

The high cost of housing, health care, childcare and fuel make it difficult for low-income individuals and families to have enough money to pay for food.

• The portion of food box recipients who cited high fuel and heating costs as the reason for needing help feeding their families increased sharply – from 21 percent in 2000 to 31 percent this year.
• 23 percent of households cite the need for affordable housing as crucial to preventing future food crises.
• Many lack health insurance, delay care.
• 53 percent of households delay medical care due to cost. That’s up from 47 percent in 2002 and 41 percent in 1996.
• 38 percent of adults in surveyed households had no health insurance
• 20 percent of children had no health insurance.