Community support ensures nobody has to go hungry

Kiko, right, shops for groceries stocked by Food Share intern Jeff, left, during a mobile pantry distribution in Salem.

Thanks to your generosity, Marion Polk Food Share continues to be a source of stability and support for our neighbors in need through turbulent times.

During the pandemic, the Food Share’s ability to provide meals for our neighbors was vital amid an unprecedented increase in the number of people reaching out for help.

“The pandemic brought widespread job loss and unprecedented demand for food assistance,” says Rick Gaupo, the Food Share’s President. “Neighbors who had never visited a food pantry before began relying on food boxes to help feed their families.”

This year, demand for food support in our community skyrocketed again amid record inflation and vital government support programs like the child tax credit coming to an end. The increased cost of groceries and other essentials are having a real impact on people living on the margins.

Santauo, left, and Kapiolani shop for food at a mobile distribution hosted in partnership with Micronesian Islander Community at Chemeketa Community College.

Because of your support, the Food Share continues to serve the community and expand its services. A mobile pantry program is getting food to communities where it is needed most, and the home grocery delivery program is serving neighbors who can’t make it to a food pantry. And the Food Share continues to work with underserved communities to improve their access to food and ensure none of our neighbors have to go hungry.

During these times of change and uncertainty, our neighbors find stability in knowing they have access to the nutritious food they need.

The Food Share would like to thank American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, AT&T, Capitol Auto Group, Highway Trailer Sales and Service, Jeremy A. Dumanovsky Construction, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, Oregon Food Bank, Ralph Hull Foundation, Richard and Barbara Marx Foundation, Salem First Presbyterian Church, St. Mark Lutheran Church, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, and community members like you for providing hope to our neighbors during these times of uncertainty.