Fresh food drive aims to help Central Oregonians

One out of five of your neighbors are considered food insecure, according to the Oregon Food Bank . This means that every fifth p erson you meet on the street might not know where his or her next meal is coming from. Hunger takes a heavy toll on our community health, personal success, economic productivity and happiness.

You can help reduce hunger and increase fresh food options at the food bank by participating in the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance’s (HDFFA) Grow and Give Program .

Here’s how it works.

Visit a Central Oregon farmers market Look for the HDFFA booth and our ” Fresh Food Drive” brown bags (specifically at the Northwest Crossing or Downtown Bend Farmers Markets). Donate $5 at the HDFFA booth for a chance to win $300 worth of local foods from the market. If you are shopping at the Redmond Market or Madras Saturday Market, donate fresh produce directly at the market manager’s booth and at Sisters Market, visit Seed to Table.

What will HDFFA do with your $5? Each time you make a donation to the Grow and Give program, HDFFA pays market farmers $5 on your behalf, collects the equivalent amount of produce and donates this fresh food to NeighborImpact, our regional food bank that serves food- insecure families. Everyone wins!

Our food banks are filled with fresh , healthy food . Our farmers have a bigger market for wonderful produce and products. You may just win the end of season drawing for delicious local goods.

This community-driven campaign is a project of our three-year Grow & Give program. Last year we collected over four tons of fresh food to nourish neighbors in need. This year, our aim is to collect 15,500 pounds of fresh produce donations. If everyone pitches in, we can reach our goal of a more vibrant, healthy community one fresh food donation at a time.