Get to know Ashland Emergency Food Bank
The sixth cooperative principle, "Concern for Community," has become even more important since the pandemic began and economies, locally and globally, started to constrict. To address this, the Board of Directors agreed in April to release 100% of patronage dividends and designate Ashland Emergency Food Bank as a donation option for those dividends - resulting in over $20,000 in donations. And with the early launch of Change for Good register round-up, AEFB was a natural choice to receive round-up donations.
Read on to learn more about AEFB from board president George Kramer, including how you can continue to support their mission.
Can you give us a brief history of AEFB? How did it start? Who are your volunteers?
Community and faith-based groups formed the Food Bank in a garage 1974 to address food insecurity as the result of the oil crisis. Over time, and multiple locations, we have grown into a daily community-owned food bank that provides free-of-charge support to about 1700 people monthly. We have two employees and rely on hundreds of volunteers, the Ashland Food Project, and the generosity of the community to make it all work.
How have things changed at AEFB since the pandemic began?
In mid-March we scrapped our traditional “shopping” model in favor of a modified “box.” This allowed us to minimize entry to a limited number of volunteers, keeping them safe, our building secure, and still provide food to clients. Over the past months we have improved on that system. Shoppers fill out a short list based on our available items and their preferences, and our volunteers pull the products and fill their box. A “Free Table” is located outside, with perishable produce and other items. Everyone must wear a mask and we sanitize in between individual shoppers, who are not permitted past the Intake/Entry Foyer.
Have you seen new, inspirational ways in which the community has stepped up to support the AEFB mission and each other?
It has been truly humbling to see the out-pouring of support for what we do, and the amazing willingness of our staff and volunteers to make near daily changes to keep our service open and functional. When the Ashland Food Project “Green Bags” were canceled, their donors sent us “Cash, not Cans” to help us purchase replacement food. We have been overwhelmed by offers of support, of time and money. We made a plea for sanitizer and a local company provide it. We asked for help building plastic guards, and a local contractor built it for us. We appreciate everything the Co-op has done to support us to help meet the community’s need.
What efforts can locals take on to improve food security or help AEFB's mission?
We are here to serve the community and our entire mission is to assure that anyone who needs food from us can get it. Unlike government supported foodbanks we rely entirely on donations but that also means that we don’t have a lot of paperwork or ask a lot of questions. If you are an Ashland or Talent resident and you need food, we will provide you with some. Being local is our only rule for service. Your readers can support us by making sure that the word gets out that we are open, that we have food, and that we are there to help anyone that asks. If you don’t need food personally, please consider supporting our efforts, either with a donation, with your time, or just telling a friend that is in need.
To learn more about Ashland Emergency Food Bank, click here to visit their website.
More Co-op News
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We’ve teamed up with Rogue Valley Farm to School to offer three different camps this summer. Each week campers will dive into food production, preparation and exploration, with a mix of farm and kitchen experiences that delight the senses and inspire the soul. Join Rogue Valley Farm to School staff as they cultivate the ability to grow and cook delicious, healthy, seasonal meals. Monday - Wednesday at the Co-op Community Classroom, Thursday & Friday at the Farm at SOU.
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By Ed Claassen, Board President
Your Board and Management Team invested a significant amount of time in 2014 developing a set of strategic initiatives that we believe are vital in shaping the future of our business and furthering our mission. We formed a Strategic Planning Steering Committee consisting of 3 Board members and 3 Management Team members to guide the implementation of these initiatives.
2018 Electronic Coupon Schedule
To further our sustainability efforts and to serve you better, we began offering Electronic Owner Coupons in January 2017 at the register.
No more forgetting to bring your owner coupons. No more waiting for your newsletter to arrive. Cashiers simply ask if you want to use your owner coupons when you check out.
As we enter our second year of Electronic Coupons we wanted to share a couple of friendly reminders and the 2018 month by month schedule.
Please note:
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Proposals Sought for the 2018 Community Grants
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Every spring, for more than 20 years, we’ve been donating to area nonprofits through our Community Grant program. We are committed to creating healthy, sustainable communities and this program helps us fulfill that commitment by supporting the amazing work of local nonprofits. The Community Grant program is also the highlight of Cooperative Principle 7, Concern for Community, and is something we take to heart.
From the General Manager’s Desk
By Emile Amarotico
As we commence our lap around the sun in 2018, I wish to recognize the longstanding contributions of an amazing group of professionals. We are blessed with the dedication of eleven department managers expertly coordinating the daily flow of people, products and services that breath life into our Co-op!
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Lynne (35+ years’ tenure) our Grocery Manager oversees keeping the aisles abundant with shelf stable products and coolers full of fresh perishables.
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From the General Manager's Desk
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Meet Board of Director Julie O'Dwyer
When not working on Board of Director efforts, my profession is an Interior and Building Designer. I own the Ashland Design Studio, located in the Historic Railroad District, and have a design services studio there - JulieO Design. I have been in the architectural design business my whole life; from crawling around my father's architectural studio to traveling around the world working on buildings large and small to now having created my own niche in the local building community. I took a few years off this path to own and run Tease Restaurant here in Ashland.