About Ashland Community Food Bank
We serve the residents of Ashland, Talent, and surrounding areas within 97520 and 97540 zip codes, who are facing food insecurity.
Ashland Community Food Bank is an independent, private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Federal ID #93-1329669. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by the tax code.
Location and Service Hours
560 Clover Lane, Ashland, OR 97520
541-488-9544
Monday to Friday
and Every 3rd Saturday
9:30am to 12:30pm
Our History
The Ashland Community Food Bank was founded in 1972 by a group of churches who believed that no one in our community should go to bed hungry. They pooled their efforts from their individual congregations and began distributing food to people in need.
Over five decades, so much has changed! The need in our community rises each year. We are fortunate to own our building to best serve our friends and neighbors. And, one thing has remained constant – our mission. That is, to provide food at no cost to all those in need living in Ashland and Talent, while increasing awareness of food insecurity. We serve ALL people with dignity.
Who Do We Serve?
We serve any resident of Ashland or Talent who needs our support. For some, this may be a one time visit because of a short term crisis. For many, we are part of their monthly household budget. We provide for working families, seniors on fixed incomes, people in transition, and many who simply cannot make enough to afford basic living expenses.
Some believe we serve mainly the homeless. About 15% of our shoppers are unhoused residents of Ashland and Talent. Many are local families who have children under the age of 18. Some are still trying to secure a permanent home after the Alameda fires.
ALICE
ALICE is an acronym (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) that describes individuals and families who are working, but are still unable to afford basic necessities, such as food, housing, transportation, and child care. Essentially, residents earn more than the Federal Poverty Line, but less than the basic cost of living in the county they reside. Because of this, families may need to choose between purchasing groceries for the month or purchasing medication they may need.
Ashland, Oregon: 44% of households are below the ALICE Threshold
Talent, Oregon: 54% of households are below the ALICE Threshold
What We Provide
As a Community Food Bank, we provide 3 days worth of food. We distribute 15,000 pounds of food on a weekly basis. This is distributed to 240-250 families who shop with us to meet their household’s needs.
Shoppers are provided a list given the agency to choose what they need and prefer. Amounts from each category of food (soup, fruit, protein, dairy) depend on family size and we strive to provide the healthiest choices possible for our shoppers. Our job at the Food Bank is to provide food, with kindness and compassion, when a family needs a little extra help to get through the month.
Service Partners
- Ashland High School
- Ashland Middle School
- Ashland Public Library
- Ashland Senior Center
- First Presbyterian Little Free Pantry
- Head Start (Ashland)
- Organizations serving hot meals
- Powerpack Backpack Program
- SOU Pantry
How Do We Do It?
Our Community. We choose to not receive government funding to remain a low-barrier organization. Our community blessedly provides donations of time, money, and food to support our efforts.
Supplier Partnerships: Ashland Community Food Bank has many supplier partners and has always been supported by the wonderful community. One of the most critical and beloved partnerships is with the Ashland Food Project. Green Bag drives bring us 30,000 pounds of food 6 times per year on the 2nd Saturday of even months of the year. This is just one of many important supplier partners.
Volunteers: We have nearly 300 dedicated, generous and heartfelt volunteers who in 2023, gave over 11,000 hours of their time to help their neighbors in need.
Our Board of Directors
Elva Manquer-DeShields
Tim Robitz
Stef Seffinger
John Wallar
Ward Wilson