by Renee Silva
An empty refrigerator and a looming rent bill are two of the scariest experiences as a human being. With some strategic planning, careful meal prep, and prioritizing wellness, however, students at LB can access nutritious food from a variety of sources. First access, then pantry building.
Accessing Food Help
On the LB campus, a first stop is the Roadrunner Resource Center in Takena Hall. Just adjacent to First Resort is Faren Leader in the Resources office. She can provide help in applying for SNAP and Oregon Health Plan and begin the process of getting longer access to food and healthcare.
SNAP navigators at each Department of Human Services office can offer help in navigating additional food resources. Keep in mind that many of our campus events, speakers, and activities offer free food and snacks as well. Feed your mind and your body while maximizing the benefits of the student fees you pay.
Linn-Benton does not have a food pantry yet, but one is in the process of starting. Contact your student government to help in the creation and maintenance of an LB food pantry. LB also has a program called LB Lunchbox, funded by student government, to help students with food gift cards to Safeway. Contact the Resource office to check on funds and apply.
In the meantime, use Oregonfoodbank.org to find the locations of your closest food pantries. The National Gleaning Project (nationalgleaningproject.org) can also help you begin to find your local agricultural and urban gleaners group. These folks collect produce and often bread items to redistribute. Creating an ongoing routine of accessing food at these places will help you slowly build up a freezer and pantry of staple items, and sometimes special treats to get you through difficult times.
Transportation also can be a hardship and a barrier. If you have disabilities, you may qualify for Benton Area Transit, which can allow you to schedule rides to the food bank and back home. If you have a car, share, reach out, lend your time and your car to helping a fellow student get access to the food they need.
Creating a structured routine that prioritizes visits to the food bank every two weeks and gleaners groups is key to accessing ongoing nutrition. And always take the extras! If it is an ingredient you are unfamiliar with, it is an opportunity to learn something new.
If you need a medically specific diet, you may be able to access help and meal services through the Health Related Social Needs program of the Oregon Health Plan. Take some time to read the OHP website and reach out to your co-ordinated care organization and your specialist for help in applying to this program. This is a new program and it is not fast. Reach out early, often, be persistent, and reach out to a SNAP navigator if you run into problems.
Low-barrier food shelves are all around once you start looking for them. In Corvallis, look for the Vina Moses shelves near Trader Joe’s off Northwest Ninth, and Albany has a host of no-barrier shelves. Currently the quickest way to search them out is by using the search function on the Subreddit for your town. Reddit does not require an account to search and read. People are generally friendly and post as many low barrier food shelves and refrigerators throughout the community as possible.
Building a Sustainable Food Pantry
Consistently utilizing a food pantry and gleaners is an opportunity to slowly build up freezer meals and a pantry. Often, food received from the gleaners and food banks need to be used quickly. It is important to move quickly to process the food into meals.
Thrift stores generally have containers for freezer meals, including casserole and Pyrex dishes. The USDA and OSU Extension have food-borne illness safety guidance for free.
Creating larger plant-based meals from your food pantry and gleaner visits means that you will slowly build up some options in your freezer by portioning out a large prep session into items you can pull from the freezer during finals.
“Afro Vegan Society,” “Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen” and “Rainbow Plant Life” on Youtube are helpful to learn lots of ways to use the staples and veggies you will receive at the food bank. Martha Stewart and a library card are also here to help.
Your local library has a host of online resources for free and Oregon Public Broadcasting has many cooking shows available for free as well. Sometimes a new ingredient from the food bank can start to feed a new routine of self care at home.
Nourish yourself well. You deserve it.
Helping your community stay fed:
- Offer rides, be consistent, don’t cancel.
- Volunteer at food pantries – the volunteers we depend on are between 65-95 years old. It’s time for a new generation of volunteers.
- Help someone you know build up their kitchen prep and cooking items by collecting items they need or treating them to a thrift store find.
- Start and map your own littlefreepantry.org.
- All sorts of small groups and faith communities are filled with older folks that our communities depend on for food and food distribution; cure your boredom, volunteer.