In an effort to meet an increase in demand, FOOD for Lane County purchased a new warehouse in west Eugene, last fall. According to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study, 14.6 percent of the county experiences food insecurity. That’s higher than the state’s 11.6 percent.
FOOD for Lane County distributes about 8 million pounds of food to pantries and meal sites every year. Executive director Tom Mulhern said more than half of the food they receive is perishable.
“That calls for refrigeration and freezer space to be able to store and redistribute those particular items so that was a big feature of this new warehouse that we just opened,” Mulhern said.
To ensure their 3,500 square ft freezer is operable in the event of a power outage or natural disaster, FOOD for Lane County recently secured a $300,000 dollar grant from M.J Murdock Charitable Trust.
“FOOD for Lane County is one of the key elements in our local disaster preparedness program…to be able to respond to community need by providing an adequate supply of food to people throughout the area will be significant,” Mulhern said.
The nonprofit still needs $3 million dollars to complete their $8.5 million campaign to cover the cost of the new west Eugene location.
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