New truck speeds food service

People in Wasco County can also access food supplies from Pioneer Potlatch at the Dufur Methodist Church, 320 NE Second Street, from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday (541-298-4354)

In Mosier, food is distributed by Pioneer Potlach at the senior meal site, 501 E. Second Street, from noon to 1 p.m. Monday and Wednesday (541-298-4354).

Tygh Valley is served by Pioneer Potlatch at the Community Center, 57594 Tygh Valley Road, from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday (541-298-4354).

A new Oregon Food Bank truck will be dedicated at a ceremony Thursday that will also celebrate the expanded ability of local hunger relief agencies to distribute fresh produce, food boxes, meals, backpacks and supplemental products to needy families.

“This truck was purchased specifically to serve the region,” said Sharon Thornberry, OFB’s rural community liaison.

She said the vehicle will allow quicker delivery of supplies to Wasco, Hood River and Sherman counties, where they are dispersed by 16 organizations.

Community members are invited by Thornberry and The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the arrival of the truck with a ribbon cutting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at Polehn Farms, 2121 Dry Hollow Road.

Polehn Farms is used as a loading and distribution site for food supplies.

“Oregon Food Bank has been a chamber member since early this year,” said Camille Terry, membership and events coordinator for the chamber.

“Ribbon cuttings are our way of welcoming new chamber members, celebrating new workspaces, announcing new owners, and welcoming new public spaces. They are a great way to network with other members,” she said.

Thursday’s ribbon cutting will be the 24th held by the chamber in 2016, said Terry.

OFB has been operating an interim food bank to serve the three-county area since November. Their work has focused on identifying additional entities that would benefit from receiving food, expanding the quantity and variety of fresh produce shipments and providing better services to donors.

Over the last seven months, there has been a 20 percent increase in pounds of food distributed -- nearly 500,000 total pounds of food have been handled by OFB in the region. Twenty-seven percent of that food was fresh produce.

According to OFB reports, 3,000 people are given food each month, including more than 1,000 migrant farm workers during the harvest season.

Other stats provided by OFB show that 20,000 additional pounds of culturally appropriate, shelf-stable foods have been distributed this year to the region’s three largest food pantries.

More than $8,000 was awarded to pantries and meal sites for training and small equipment.

And more than 11,300 pounds of food and nearly $6,500 were generated for the region via food and fund drives.

More than 93 cents of every dollar donated to OFB goes directly to fighting hunger, according to an agency report.

Thornberry said, because of the added convenience of the truck, fresh produce will soon be delivered for the first time to Celilo Village, thanks to assistance by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Human Services.

“We’re going to be able to provide a lot more services than in the past,” she said. “We’re going to be able to pick up from local donors on a regular basis.”

For example, Thornberry said produce and meat and other perishables will soon be picked up at Safeway in The Dalles.

To make sure food service needs are being met, she said an assessment will soon be done to determine how the distribution system works and where it can be improved to better serve needy families.