PRESS RELEASE: Hundreds gather in Ontario to celebrate future of new community food center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2026
Contact: Rachael Jackson-Davis, rlucille@oregonfoodbank.org

Hundreds gather in Ontario to celebrate future of new community food center

Ontario Community Food Center will double square footage, expanding capacity for Malheur and Harney counties where food insecurity is above state average

ONTARIO, Ore. — Oregon Food Bank SE Oregon Services and the Western Treasure Valley Food System Partnership celebrated a milestone, hosting a community block party to mark the upcoming groundbreaking of the Ontario Community Food Center. More than 250 people showed up for the September 16 event, filling the future site with music, food, activities and excitement for the future food center.

The celebration comes at a critical time. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data released in July shows food insecurity has climbed across Oregon, with Malheur and Harney counties facing some of the highest rates in the state. In Malheur County, one in five people and nearly one in four children don't have reliable access to enough food. In Harney County, it's one in six people and one in five kids.

The food center will respond to that need. Set to open in late 2027, it will improve access to free food and increase capacity to process and distribute fresh, culturally relevant, local food, along with a community kitchen, a free food market and a gathering space. Construction will begin soon, building on years of community collaboration.

"What excites me most is what the food center represents for our community,” said Lindsay Grosvenor, Southeast Oregon Regional Manager at Oregon Food Bank. “Neighbors helped shape this project from the beginning, and Wednesday night we got to celebrate that work together."

What makes the project unique is where it's being built. It will sit on the same block as River Bend Place housing and Valley Family Health Care's Fortner Medical Clinic, putting food, housing and healthcare within walking distance of each other. It's a model more food banks across the country are beginning to embrace that recognizes affordable and accessible housing, health and hunger are connected.

"Having a food center right next door to our clinic means we can connect people to care and nourishment at the same time, instead of asking them to make that trip multiple times," said Dan Ramirez, Board Chair of Valley Family Health Care and District Manager for the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Attendees at Wednesday's block party heard from

• Lindsay Grosvenor, Southeast Oregon Regional Manager,

• Debbie Folden, Ontario Mayor,

• Andrea Williams, Oregon Food Bank President,

• Dan Ramirez, Family Valley Health Center Board Chair; District Manager Oregon Department of Human Services, and

• Trell Anderson, Northwest Housing Alternatives Executive Director.

The evening closed with a blessing from the Burns Paiute Tribe and an invitation for the community to keep the celebration going as construction begins.

"Ontario has always been a community that takes care of our people. This project takes that spirit to a new level," said Debbie Folden, Mayor of Ontario. “Food, housing and healthcare on one block is the kind of innovation that transforms communities."

For media inquiries, contact Rachael Jackson-Davis at rlucille@oregonfoodbank.org.

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, know that help is available and that all are welcome — no proof of gender identity or immigration status is ever required. Visit OregonFoodFinder.org to find free food markets, pantries and meal sites near you, available in 19 languages.

PHOTO A: (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

PHOTO B: (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

PHOTO C: (Courtesy of Oregon Food Bank)

Additional photos and b-roll footage are available upon request.

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ABOUT OREGON FOOD BANK

At Oregon Food Bank, we believe that food and health are basic human rights for all. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of barriers to employment, education, housing, and healthcare. That’s why we work systemically in our mission to end hunger in Oregon: we build community connections to help people access nourishing, affordable food today, and we build community power to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good. Join us online OregonFoodBank.org and @oregonfoodbank on social media.

ABOUT THE WESTERN TREASURE VALLEY FOOD SYSTEM PARTNERSHIP

Oregon Food Bank Southeast Oregon Services, located in Ontario Oregon, is a branch of Oregon Food Bank that serves Malheur and Harney counties. As part of the Western Treasure Valley Food System Partnership, we nurture connections, strengthen community power and respond to our community’s needs by supporting initiatives that transform systems of inequity and address the root causes of hunger. The Western Treasure Valley Food Systems Partnership is a cohort of 14 organizations located in and serving communities in and around Malheur County and Southwest Idaho.