ONTARIO, Oregon — The Oregon Food Bank is working hard to make sure that every family in their two-county area gets the help they need. The reason why is, that officials say the need for their services has tripled.
And they can't do it without volunteers like Dave Henderson who works at one of the distribution sites.
It’s only appropriate that Henderson a retired Bureau of Land Management worker from Vale, Oregon has turned the page and spends countless hours at the Next Chapter Food Pantry and Garden. We spoke with Dave and asked if working for the Bureau of Land Management all those years gave him any experience in the garden?
"No my mother did, she had ten green fingers," said Henderson, "and I have part of one thumb. It truly is a big family."
According to officials at the Ontario site, Malhuer County has the highest childhood poverty rate in the state. They also cover a lot of ground as Malhuer and Harney Counties are two of the largest counties in the state.
The process starts with large trucks arriving from Portland, to the distribution warehouse in Ontario where workers will do everything they can to get the food out.
Sheila Hiatt with the Foodbank says from top to bottom, everyone does what they can to get the job done.
“I enjoy this job. I wear many different hats not just doing paperwork in the office," said Hiatt. "But I drive the forklift and the truck. I even do warehouse work when it's needed."
Dave Henderson says that cans and boxes are great, but there’s nothing like putting fresh vegetables on a kitchen table.
“We think it is real important part of nutrition. We grow a lot of things that can go right from here to the table," said Henderson.
You can donatefood, money, or volunteer your time. Just contact The Oregon Food Bank and they’ll steer you in the right direction. One donation at a time.
