Marion-Polk Food Share History
Over 20 Years in the fight to END hunger in Marion and Polk counties.
1987 Marion-Polk Food Share separated from the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Committee and became an independent non-profit organization. This was accomplished with financial support from the City of Salem. With the help of the Gannett Foundation Community Priorities Grant, Marion-Polk Food Share opened at rented space at 2305 Front Street in Salem.
Under the leadership of Margaret Grant as executive director, Marion-Polk Food Share began with two full-time employees. The initial major effort was providing USDA cheese at mass distributions. Subsequently, and with the formation of Oregon Food Bank in Portland, a formal network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and non-emergency low-income providers formed the Marion-Polk Food Share network. Distributions to these organizations occurred twice per month at the Food Share warehouse. Over time, this distribution schedule evolved to a daily distribution to providers in the Salem-Keizer area.
1992 To better serve the growing population of migrant workers who were moving into the area, Marion-Polk Food Share developed a migrant program in Woodburn. Now known as the Community Outreach Forum.
1993 Marion-Polk Food Share started a spring break lunch program for students at risk of hunger when school lunches are not available.
1996 Food Share partnered with the Salem Housing Authority to begin serving “harvest boxes” to residents of low-income housing sites, which provided food and nutritional information to families at risk of hunger.
2000 Escalating needs for emergency food in the two-county area over the next decade compelled Marion-Polk Food Share board of directors to plan for a larger, more efficient distribution center. A five-year strategic plan guided the organization into the new century and plans for a new facility.
2001 Food Share purchased a refrigerated truck so that fresh produce and frozen products, as well as canned goods, could be delivered to Marion-Polk Food Share’s rural member charities.
2005 Through a successful $2.6 million capital campaign funded by community individuals, groups, businesses and foundations, the current warehouse and offices at 1660 Salem Industrial Drive NE opened for operation in January, 2005, tripling the size of the former facility. The new distribution center was the former Don Pancho tortilla factory, owned by George Puentes, who reduced the asking price by $300,000 and launched the capital campaign to purchase and renovate the property.
Margaret Grant retired as founding executive director at the end of December, 2004. Carolyn Homan, former board member and capital campaign director, served as interim director until Ron Hays became the second full-time executive director of Marion-Polk Food Share in August, 2005.
Food Share began a food recovery program by working with area grocery stores to pick up daily perishable food (meat, dairy and deli) that is close to the time it can no longer be sold.
2006 The board of directors adopted a new strategic plan to address the growing diversity of needs in Marion and Polk counties with the development of existing and new community services. Initial response to the strategic plan included expanding the community garden program, increased the number of network member charities in high-need areas, and added a 1,000 sq. ft. freezer to increase procurement and storage of high-quality, nutritious foods. MPFS also began production of bio-diesel fuel.