On behalf of the Network Equity and Racial Justice team, we wanted to provide resources to support your important community work addressing hunger, especially as we prepare for shifts in the political landscape.

Food Finder 

Reminder: Oregon Food Bank’s Food Finder tool helps people find the pantries and meal sites closest to them. Having accurate hours and location information ensures neighbors experiencing hunger can find you. Please let us know if there needs to be any updates. 

Guidance on Collecting Information During Intake 

During a food distribution, the following information can be collected: 

• A name
• Address or zip code 
• Number of people in their household
• Verbal confirmation that the information provided is accurate and that their household's income meets the current guidelines

Food sites should NEVER ask for or expect to receive:

• Government-issues identification (ex. driver’s license)
• Social Security number 
• Proof of Address (ex. utility bills)
• Proof of Income (ex. pay stubs) 

It's important to reassure people that receiving food from a pantry or other meal site is safe and will not impact anyone's immigration status.

Reminder: Authorized Representative Form 

We recognize that some individuals may not be able to pick up food for themselves. In such cases, authorized representatives can do so on their behalf. A link to the Authorized Representative Form can be found here.

Know Your Rights Posters 

We created posters for your organization/agency to have at your location so community members know about their rights when accessing a food pantry. Posting this flyer is not required although highly encouraged and is linked here. At this time we have English and Spanish available and are working towards getting this translated into 10 additional languages. Let us know if you are interested in being mailed printed versions of any of these posters!

Train-the-Trainer Opportunity: Know Your Rights 

On Monday, January 29, from 10am to 12pm, we’ll be hosting a Train-the-Trainer for RFBs and PAs staff and volunteers.

This training is designed for those who work directly with individuals accessing food sites and for those who regularly interact with food site staff and volunteers. In this train-the-trainer workshop, participants will learn about pantry participant rights and responsibilities when accessing food assistance sites. Through a trauma-informed approach, we’ll go over ways to address feelings of scarcity and safety. Lastly, participants will learn how to use and share tools on how to locate food sites for their community members. Click here for the flier. 

YOU CAN REGISTER FOR THE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER WORKSHOP HERE 

For questions or more information, feel free to reach out to us at equity@oregonfoodbank.org.