Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank
NEWSLETTER
March, 2018
FROM THE DIRECTOR
22 YEARS... AND COUNTING!
On May 16, I will begin my 22nd year with the Food Bank. For those who don’t know me, yes I did start when I was 10☺☺
We have so many exciting things going on which will continue to improve the lives of thousands in our community. As you read on, I hope you’ll be as excited as me. We can’t do any of this without you!
Produce Connection
So important and having a huge impact on the people who receive it. Above is the Salvation Army site. They’re one of the 21 sites we’ll have open this year. We’ve received hundreds of comments about the program.
Here are just a few:
"I’m canning again!"
"I’m a diabetic and this program means everything to me. I live on a fixed income and eating healthy can sometimes be hard to do."
THE NEW REFRIGERATED TRUCK IS ROLLIN'! "My wife is going through Chemotherapy. This quality produce has been a Godsend."
"I took things I didn’t think my kids would eat. They loved the mushrooms and broccoli steamed and mixed. Now I’m buying it at the store and fixing it on a regular basis."
"If it weren’t for the Food Bank and the produce they distribute, I wouldn’t have enough food to get through the month."
"I don’t want food stamps. Sometimes I just need a little help through summer when the kids are out of school."
"Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen so many happy people out here and I’ve never gotten so many hugs."
-"Produce Connection" Volunteer-
Since we started the "Produce Connection" back in 2014, we’ve seen a 20%-25% decrease in people accessing food boxes. Access to produce lessens the demand for food boxes. SUCH GREAT NEWS!!
Where does all the produce come from and do you have to buy it?
Most of the produce comes from 
the Oregon Food Bank. They work with growers in Oregon, Idaho, Washington and California to secure produce for pennies on the pound. They do an extraordinary job!
Did you know nearly a third of all produce in this country ends up in a landfill or compost pile? Most is perfectly edible. Last year we distributed about 800,000 pounds of produce which may have ended up being thrown away for no other reason than logistics.
Our local gardeners are VERY important too. We rely on hundreds of them to “Grow a row,” or two. Locally grown produce has a longer shelf life and benefits many who live in very rural areas as far away as Paisley and Christmas Valley, located in northern Lake County.
I know I’ve spent a lot of time addressing our produce program in this newsletter, but I’m hoping after all you’ve read you’ll continue to be on our team which strives to improve the lives of those who struggle to make ends meet.
SO MANY EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT THE FOOD BANK:
Do you shop Amazon?
1. Go to smile.amazon.com
2. Enter your email or mobile phone number and password
3. Click on “Your account”
4. Click on "Change Your Charity"
5. Enter Klamath Lake Food Bank and hit "Select"
Go to:
https://www.fredmeyer.com/topic/community-rewards-4
Make a small monthly donation on-line at klamathfoodbank.org.
We can set you up on a monthly automatic withdrawal via credit/debit card. For more information give me a call-
(541) 882-1223.
Each dollar moves 9 pounds of non-perishable food and/or 20-25 pounds of fresh produce.
IF YOU’VE RECENTLY MADE A DONATION TO THE FOOD BANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Click here for a downloadable PDF version of this newsletter (opens in a new tab or window).
Klamath Food Project
Click the bag for more info!
