"Oregon Food Bank's warehouse shelves are as
empty as I've ever seen them, " says Rachel Bristol,
OFB's CEO. "We have a big gap to fill and need your
support more than ever to help people in need"
OFB faced a major food recall this summer, resulting
in the return of two-and-a-half truckloads of product to
the manufacturer. An additional two-and-a-half
truckloads of food are on hold that OFB can't distribute.
And the recall was just one piece of bad news.
OFB continues to see a decline in U.S.D.A.
commodities, which have dropped 300,000 pounds
in the past two months alone. And food-industry
donations declined
1.1-million pounds compared
to
the same period last year.
"We are currently distributing less than half of the food
that we would normally ship to regional food banks
each week," says Mike Moran, OFB's food resource
manager. "The impact is being felt througout the entire
statewide network."
Food banks throughout the nation are seeing
declining food supplies due to the combined
influences of high commodity prices, increased
biofuel demand and increased efficiency in food
manufacturing and processing.
"We realize that these factors are here to stay," says
Moran. "The challenge becomes finding new ways to
address the problem. With the combined creativity of
all of our food industry partners we can find new
sources of food to help fight hunger. I look forward to
exploring all opportunities to increase OFB's food
supply."
To make a food donation, contact Mike Moran, OFB's
food resource manager at 503-282-0555, Ext. 209. Or
visit OFB's Web site to donate funds
online.
