Talkin’ Turquoise

It’s hard to imagine any cause more worthy than working to ensure people don’t go hungry. That’s the key mission of FOOD For Lane County, and they do a lot of amazing things in our community. They strive to reduce hunger by using a network of more than 150 social service agencies and programs.

Much of their vital work relies on volunteers who make up a big part of their workforce. We are assisting FFLC in a rebranding effort, but we also wanted to pitch in as we learn more about the inner workings of this organization. As a result, quite a few members of our team joined in volunteering this spring and summer on various FFLC projects.

Jen McGreaham, a project manager, and Kate Mock, video/photo production manager, spent some time volunteering in the food prep program. While they were bagging carrots and broccoli, they not only learned more about the process, but also had some insightful discussions with summer employees, Jen says. “We had some really good talks about school, post-school, careers and community building.”

FFLC also manages a GrassRoots Garden in Eugene and a Youth Farm in Springfield. Jacob Pace, our senior photographer, and Cres Swanson, VP of Design, visited the GrassRoots Garden in August. They shared that seeing some young visitors tasting fresh fruit for the first time was inspiring. Lunch included a conversation about retraining our palate from all the processed foods we have in our daily lives.

Other members of our team have joined in serving meals at The Dining Room, which serves a hot delicious meal at no charge four days a week in downtown Eugene. We’ve also helped at sorting donated food at FFLC’s warehouse and with distributing food boxes.

FOOD For Lane County is always looking for volunteers and we urge you to lend a hand if and when you’re able. To look into options and schedule a time, see their website at https://www.foodforlanecounty.org/volunteer/.