Increase Food Security in Oregon

It's a catch-22 reality for anyone who is trying to eat healthy on a tight budget: the healthier the food, the higher the cost.  According to a 2010 study published in the journal 'Psychological Science,' the cost of healthy food, including fruits and vegetables, has increased almost 200 percent since 1983.  The cost of unhealthy foods, on the other hands, has increased at a much slower rate.  The issue is challenging food banks across the nation to examine their sources of food and donor dollars to look for economical ways to increase the nutritional value of the food that is made available to clients.   With your support we are able to improve the nutritional content of emergency food boxes.  Thank you!

In response to this need, Oregon Food Bank is putting strategies and programs in place to bring healthier food to more people- a trend that is echoed by food banks across the nation.  These include our Learned Garden and Nutrition Education Cooking Matters classes, community food security outreach and our emphasis on securing more perishable food like fruits and vegetables.

"We are doing everything we can to become experts with the distribution of perishables," says Mike Moran, OFB's food resource development manager.  "Thanks to more partnerships with the agricultural community, retailers through out Fresh Alliance program and expanded storage capacity OFB procured and distributed 57 percent more fresh produce to communities throughout Oregon this year.  And we want to increase that year-over-year- it's our most aggressive growth goal."

Everyone- regardless of income level- deserves the right to eat a nutritious meal.  And with resourceful, strategic thinking by our partners, donors and staff, Oregon Food Bank is working hard to ensure clients have access to food that will nourish their body, as well as their future.