July Change for Good Partner: Ashland Food Angels

July's Change for Good Partner is

CFG: Ashland Food Angels

local nonprofit Ashland Food Angels

 

Ashland Food Angels is a local, fully volunteer grassroots non-profit which has operated daily since 1995, gathering and distributing food and other useful items to those in need in this area.

Each morning a Food Angel volunteer picks up food, including fresh produce, dairy, deli and bakery items from Shop N Kart and twice a week from Market of Choice.  Each evening produce is collected from the Ashland Food Coop, and at the end of both Farmers Markets in Ashland as well.  Food is sorted and reboxed for distribution through the Ashland Emergency Food Bank, the Peace House sponsored Uncle Foods free meals program, the shelter in Ashland run by Rogue Retreat, and at times to other organizations such as Gospel Mission.  Food unfit for people is given to farmers for their animals or for compost.
Each afternoon unwanted non-food items are collected from the Hospice Unique Boutique (HUB), which are redistributed throughout the community in a variety of ways.

 

 

CFG: Ashland Food Angels
Pamala Joy, Director of the Ashalnd Food Angels in her distribution center.

 

Ashland Food Angels was started in conjunction with the Northwest Seasonal Workers Association, to help provide food for the many families assisted by NSWA. The food was delivered to their offices in Ashland or Medford three times a week. An additional motivational factor in beginning the project was to keep as much out of the landfills as possible. Soon contact was made with other helping organizations, such as Uncle Food's, Jackson County Fuel Committee and school, senior and Native American groups and an ongoing distribution service was established through which recipients received food donations they could rely upon.

For the first five years of the project the work was done entirely by Pamala Joy, with help from her then young adolescent daughter, moving food from store to distribution site in an old beat-up van. The sorting was done in Ms. Joy's front yard or on her side deck, covered rapidly with tarps if the rains set in. Eventually she was able to take over a small but dry garage which was rebuilt to serve the purpose of food sorting and storage.

 

 

CFG: Ashland Food Angels
Ashland Food Angel Volunteer hard at work in the cold storage room.

 

The Ashland Food Angels has been highly successful and effective, helping many individuals and families over the years, and keeping a great deal out of landfills and into the hands of people who can use the food and other retrieved items. The Food Angels have expanded from helping one group to serving several different groups regularly, as well as many other groups and individuals through one time or occasional donations. The ripple effect of this project has contributed significantly to the lives of many in this area and is now so firmly in place that it will continue for many years to come. They are different from food banks in that we gather food for organizations to give away, and we predominately focus on fruits and vegetables.

To learn more about the Ashland Food Angels, volunteering, and the work that they are doing, please visit ashlandfoodangels.org

 

 

Change for Good

Ashland Food Angels was voted on by our owners in our 2021 election to be a Change for Good Partner.

Through the cumulative register round up donations over the course of this month ~ our shoppers will help support this local nonprofit organization and the work that they are doing in our community.

More Co-op News

January Change for Good: AHS Culinary Arts Program

Hey Co-op community!

As we step into the new year, the Ashland Food Co-op is excited to continue our Change for Good program, and for January 2024, we're shining a spotlight on a program that's close to our hearts (and our stomachs) - the Ashland High School Culinary Arts Program.

November Change for Good: Rogue Food Unites

Say hello to our November Change for Good partner - Rogue Food Unites!

Rogue Food Unites (RFU) uses food to heal individuals and communities during times of crisis. RFU was formed in 2020 out of the dual disasters of the Almeda and Obenchain fires and the impacts of COVID-19 on local communities. Within a short time, RFU began contracting with the State of Oregon to supply hot meals, food boxes, and solidarity cards in Deschutes, Douglas, Klamath, Josephine, and Jackson Counties. 

Meet Nick Hardee, AFC's new GM!

The Co-op Board of Directors and staff are thrilled to welcome Nick Hardee as the new General Manager of the Ashland Food Co-op! We asked Nick to share a little bit about himself so we'll get right to it!

October Change for Good: Center for Non-Profit Legal Services

This October, the Ashland Food Co-op is proud to partner with the Center for Non-Profit Legal Services (CNPLS) for our Change for Good program. All month long, shoppers can round up their purchases to support CNPLS and their mission to provide access to justice.

CNPLS is a non-profit legal aid firm serving low-income and vulnerable community members in Ashland and surrounding areas. Their team of dedicated lawyers and volunteers work to ensure everyone has access to legal help, regardless of their ability to pay.

It's Co-op Month!

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September Change for Good: AFC Community Fund

As we enter the beautiful month of September here in Southern Oregon, we're excited to share that our Change for Good partner this month is our very own Community Fund. As many of you know, the Community Fund allows us to support amazing local projects and organizations doing great work right here in Southern Oregon.

August Change for Good - Partnering with ACCESS to Make a Difference!

We are honored to partner with ACCESS this August - a fantastic organization that has been serving our community for over four decades. ACCESS, which stands for "A Community in Action, Connecting, Empowering, and Strengthening Self-Sufficiency," is dedicated to addressing hunger, homelessness, and poverty in Southern Oregon.

Empowering Our Community: AFC's Community Grants Now Accepting Applications

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Ashland Food Co-op's Community Grants program is designed to foster meaningful change in the Southern Oregon region. Through these grants, we seek to support projects that align with our mission of promoting local and sustainable food systems, addressing food insecurity, and promoting community engagement.

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Bicycle Benefits

Do you love to bike? Do you love to save money? Do you love the Co-op? Let us tell you about this awesome program at the Ashland Food Co-op! We all know biking is great for the environment and by joining Bicycle Benefits you'll be doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint, all while enjoying some pretty sweet perks.

So, what exactly is Bicycle Benefits? It's a program that rewards cyclists for their pedal power! Here's how it works:

1. Stop by the Co-op and buy your $5 Bicycle Benefits sticker

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