Fresh Alliance expansion gives pantries more food

March 6, 2018 – Produce and pantry staples help meet needs of diverse population

Oregon Food Bank’s Fresh Alliance program continues to grow, recently adding WinCo to the list of participating grocers. The program is designed to recover safe, edible grocery items (that might otherwise be composted or discarded) and offer them to people in need.

Adding stores will mean changing driver routes and working with pantries to take over some of the responsibilities. The Salvation Army in Gresham is one of 35 pantries in the Portland metro area now picking up Fresh Alliance directly from stores.

“A few years ago we could not meet the dietary needs of some of our clients, and now they love the selection,” said Maxine Lawrence, family services coordinator for Salvation Army in Gresham. “Some people can’t do processed foods, especially diabetics or folks with heart issues. It’s just been a God send.”

Your contribution to Oregon Food Bank makes the expansion of this program a reality and increases the amount of healthy food available to people struggling to make ends meet.

More information about Fresh Alliance can be found by visiting oregonfoodbank.org/freshalliance.