Kristin Noveske

Changes in the Works

by

This spring there are so many changes at Reaching Our Community Food Pantry! First, one of our long-standing early spring fund raising events, Soup for the Soul, will not be held this year. Our volunteer coordinator for that event, Alex Apland, has so many things going on this year that she cannot commit to the event this spring. We completely support Alex’s decision, and she has promised to bring it back in 2019. Those of us who have watched this event progress understand the number of hours and hard work that go into a successful fund raising event and appreciate all the work Alex has done in the past. We look forward to this event’s return in 2019.

Another change has to do with building improvements at the ROC. Our floor project is half done (the warehouse is done) and work will begin on the office space and waiting area right after Easter. The warehouse floor looks great, will be much easier to clean, and will serve us well into the future.

On March 31, we will host our second annual Easter Egg Hunt at Reinhart Volunteer Park (All Sports Park) at the Harry and David Pavilion. We had so much fun last year when we did it on the ROC property, but it seemed to crowded that we decided to move it to the park. It will run from 1 pm until 3 pm. All are welcome.

And then looking into the future, the annual Beardfest held the first weekend in October, sponsored by Tucker’s Barber Shop, will benefit the ROC this year. We are excited about the partnership with Tucker’s and appreciate this added fund raising event.

We are so excited about all the events and all the fun we can offer to the community. Please join us whenever you can. New volunteers are always welcome.

Hours Changed Until Further Notice

by

We have changed our Thursday distribution hours UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

We will be open on Thursday from 1 PM until 5 PM, one hour less on Thursday.

We have found that during the “dark” months, very few people come in between 5 PM and 6 PM.

If you cannot make it before 5 PM, please consider coming in on Saturday from 9 AM until NOON.

VOLUNTEER AT THANKSGIVING

by

We need additional volunteers to help us with our Thanksgiving food gove aways on Thursday, November 16 from 12 Noon until 6 PM, and on Saturday, November 18 from 8 AM until 12 Noon. If you can help, please call the ROC at 541-476-3344 to volunteer.

Vacation is over…gearing up for fall

by

My long vacation is over and as I return to work I can already sense that we are gearing up for the fall season. There are some specific needs that we have right now that I want to mention first. We are in desperate need of mens clothing. Our shelves have been bare for weeks and when we do get in a few jeans or shirts, they fly out of the door quickly. Our socks box has also been empty for weeks. These are important items for our clients. Please, if you can help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated.

We are also planning for our Fall Family Festival on October 14. This fun event will include games, raffles, pies, food for purchase, and a huge and very cheap rummage sale. W like to think of this as a “give back” to the community for the continued support. Save the date: October 14 from 11 until 3. It is going to be lots of fun.

Volunteers Needed This Summer

by

Volunteers are needed this summer as some of our regular volunteers head out for vacations and family events. This call is for former volunteers, part time volunteers, and even new volunteers. If you have never volunteered at the ROC, please come in before you intend to volunteer to fill out some paperwork and read over our Team Handbook. You will then get a tour of our facility, a description of volunteer opportunities, and suggested days for service. We do not assign volunteers…we let you pick the days and times you can work. Our greatest need is the distribution days of Thursday from 1 pm to 5 pm and Saturdays from 9 am until noon. If you have any questions, please call the ROC Food Pantry at (541) 476-3344. Thanks for your interest in our program.

July Update from the ROC

by

Greetings from Reaching Our Community Food Bank. This is a new post, just starting, and hopefully updating from time to time. Thanks to Kristin and John Noveske of imainstreet for training and allowing us to have more control over this web page. Keep watching this post for news, updates, and information as we move forward and keep serving those in need in our community.

God has been good to the ROC this summer and we are very grateful for all of the grants, assistance, and local helpers that have brought so much to our summer. Gardeners bringing in surplus produce have made our distribution weeks so bountiful. Babe’s Bakery and Heavenly Sweets continue to bring us surplus baked goods. We have also purchased food from Food for Less in Medford and dairy from Umpqua this summer to supplement our regular food resources from the Josephine County Food Bank.

Our numbers are on the rise! We heard in early July that our food stamp clients were getting cuts, some as much as 50% or more. That means that we will have new clients, people will require more help, and our jobs will continue to increase in work and service.

In early July a young lady went to this website and looked at our needs list. Then she went out and purchased as many of the tings as she could for us. That included personal needs items and food. When she arrived on a Saturday, her vehicle was literally packed full with items for the ROC. In all there were 348 pounds of food and personal items! Why did she do this? She was going to be baptized on the day following and wanted to do something to commemorate that. Awesome!

So this inaugural column is ready for you to read and digest. As always, volunteers are welcome, donations of food and clothing are welcome, and donations of money are also much appreciated. And you can give passively by linking your Fred Meyer rewards card to the ROC, or linking up on Amazon Smiles.

Look for more human interest columns coming in the near future.

God. Bless. Ron McCallum, Executive Director