Inside this issue: Putting Every Dollar to Work, Keeping It Local, Summer Food Program Serves More Kids, Empty Bowls Online Auction and more

Putting Every Dollar to Work

Welcome! We're excited to bring you this e-newsletter. E-mail is the most cost-effective way for us to keep you informed on how we're putting your support to work. 

We are proud of our success in helping families and individuals in Lane County, but we are disturbed that so many of our neighbors need emergency food in the first place. One in five Lane County residents will access food through a FOOD for Lane County program or service this year. Nearly half (46%) of the people we serve are children or seniors, 27% are disabled, 33% are families and 32% are employed. Nearly one in three children will eat from a food box at least once this year.

Read more about hunger in Lane County and what, with your help, FOOD for Lane County is doing to address it.

Keeping It Local

Susan Hanner supports FOOD for Lane County with her money and her time. The Eugene resident donates $100 every month and volunteers in the kitchen with Food Rescue Express. Hanner likes keeping her money in the community. "I'd like to think it has an impact on people who are in my world."

Read her story

Summer Food Program Serves More Kids

More children will have access to free, nutritious meals this summer, thanks to a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FOOD for Lane County. Beginning in June, Vida, McKenzie Bridge and Blue River will be the newest sites in Lane County to provide meals to children five days a week.

"We're extremely excited to be able to serve this area," said Summer Food Program Coordinator Karen Roth. "It's something we've been looking forward to for years."

Read more

Empty Bowls Online Auction and Sale
Beautiful fabric, clay, glass and wood bowls made by local artists are on display and available for bidding May 15-30 at Valley River Center at our Empty Bowls Online Auction. View bowls and bid online. Join us Friday, June 2, at Opus6ix, 22 W. 7th, in Eugene for our Empty Bowls Sale. More than 1,200 soup bowls made by local clay, glass, fabric and wood artists will be on sale. The sale begins at 6pm and ends at 8:30 pm. Prices start at $10. Proceeds from the auction and sale benefit local hunger relief efforts.

Chefs' Night Out Raises Over $97,000

Thanks to generous support from the public, our sponsors and participating restaurants and beverage purveyors, Chefs' Night Out 2006 raised over $97,000 for local hunger relief.

Get Involved!
Food banking succeeds when the whole community participates. FOOD for Lane County makes it easy to get involved, whatever your age or interests. Volunteer in our kitchen or at one of our three gardens. Take a tour. Serve dinner at one of our two family meal sites. Help plan an event. Organize a food drive. The opportunities are endless! Click here to learn more, or call us at (541) 343-2822.

Future E-Newsletters

We're excited to provide you with this e-newsletter. However, if you don't want to receive The Dish, just let us know. You can email us at news@foodforlanecounty.org or call us at (541) 343-2822. If this issue of The Dish was forwarded to you and you would like to be added to our mailing list, sign up online or call us at (541) 343-2822.