Helping Keep Food On The Table This Summer
New investments support family food programs
At a time when anxieties about food insecurity are especially high for struggling families, a number of local food programs are getting some unexpected help to meet families’ needs.
One of the programs receiving funding this summer is Triangle Food Box, serving the Blachly community. Here, Assistant Manager Carol Wennstrom-Dodge and Pantry Manager Cyndie Blake prepare to welcome community members picking up food.
Thanks to funds donated by the Lane Community Health Council, United Way has distributed $51,000 to 13 local agencies who quickly and effectively ensured children and families had access to food this summer. Grants went to NAACP Eugene, Community Alliance of Lane County, Orchid Health, Rural Organizing Project, Triangle Lake Food Box, McKenzie FRC, Community Food for Creswell, Helping Hands Food Pantry, Lane ESD Natives Program, Womenspace, and Food for Lane County.
Summer in general, but this year in particular, is a difficult time for families struggling to make ends meet.
“About 50% of elementary school children participate in the Free/Reduced Lunch program,” said Rhonda Busek, Executive Director of the Lane Community Health Council. “And we know from the Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan that there are several health conditions and social determinants of health that vary dramatically based on race, ethnicity, and geography, so a disproportionate number of those participating in the program are children of color, children in rural communities, and children with disabilities.”
With the continued health and economic impacts of COVID-19, struggling families face additional challenges to balance needs on fixed incomes.
United Way and the Lane Community Health Council prioritized expedient action and relied on local knowledge to make funding decisions—by partnering with FOOD For Lane County and local school districts’ Family Resource Centers to identify organizations well-positioned to get food in the hands of children and families over the summer.
Programs will use funds to either expand hours/days of service to increase accessibility for families, or use funds for food resources and/or gift cards redeemable at local grocery stores or farmers’ markets. In addition, United Way is able to activate volunteer and in-kind resources to provide families with supplemental supplies.
“When brainstorming, we focused on organizations that operate in rural areas of high need, and those that have proven to be very effective in reaching communities of color and other marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by poverty and food insecurity, said Rozlyn Fox, FOOD for Lane County’s Programs and Services Director.
Food boxes ready for community members to pick up at Blachly’s Triangle Food Box
Upon receiving the offer of funds, programs expressed gratitude for the support, acknowledging compounding issues that make serving the community so difficult amidst the pandemic.
“One of the programs most important to our organization is the Summer Kids Boxes program in which we pack kid-specific food items for each child, in addition to the normal food pantry items that the family receives,” said Bryn Tomlinson of Blachly’s Triangle Food Box. “During the pandemic we have seen not only an increase in the number of families served, but most notably an increase in the number of children being served as well. Our food availability has decreased in many areas, including meat and dairy products. The money from United Way is going to address and round out these programs and deficiencies. We cannot thank your organization enough for helping us provide more food security to our clients during these challenging times, and for the comfort that it has provided of knowing that we can continue to deliver on our mission of alleviating hunger in and around Blachly.”