Since 1982, Food Share of Lincoln County has led community efforts in awareness and elimination of hunger in Lincoln County. Through ever increasing community outreach and partnerships, we strive to provide much needed services to our clients and our county.
Food Share of Lincoln County distributes emergency food boxes through seven affiliated pantries located in the Coastal Range, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Siletz and Toledo. In addition to the pantries, we provide assistance in the form of food, and other donated items to local partner agencies. Our support helps stretch the agency’s budget thereby allowing them to provide more direct client services.
Food Share distributes over 900,000 pounds of food each year from various sources including Oregon Food Bank, USDA commodities, local farms, retailers, individual and small business donors.
Who we are: Food Share of Lincoln County (FSLC) was started as a regional food bank in 1981 and
incorporated as a private non-profit 501(c)3 in 1982. As the need for services increased, FSLC
moved several times, each time to a larger facility, culminating in a final move to the current
warehouse located at 535 NE First Street in Newport. The Food Share warehouse serves as
the central distribution site for 17 partner agencies in the county. As a regional food bank,
FSLC is overseen by a Board of Directors and partners with Oregon Food Bank to distribute
USDA commodity food, food donated by producers in the food industry, as well as local
donations from retailers and individuals.
Where the food comes from: FSLC receives a weekly shipment from the Oregon Food Bank warehouse in Portland. USDA commodities, retail vendor donations, bulk food, frozen product and produce are delivered; in addition, volunteer drivers glean from local retailers, big and small, year round. Food Share
also receives a seasonal supply of fresh fish from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
In the summer months, local gardeners, farmers, and Saturday Farmers' Market vendors
provide a rich source of fresh, local produce. Food Share also accepts local food donations and
helps to facilitate and publicize local food drives.
Where the food goes: After receiving food into the FSLC warehouse, all provisions are then distributed to affiliated partner agencies who then distribute it to their clients. Food Share also works closely with
Coastal Range Food Bank in Nashville for information referral and sharing of resources.
How our operations are funded: FSLC is supported primarily by donations from individuals, local businesses, and the faith community, in the form of food items and cash. Grants and other monetary assistance is available from the Lincoln County Social Service Fund, United Way of Benton and Lincoln
County, Community Services Consortium, Oregon Food Bank, Siletz Tribe Charitable Giving,
EFSP (FEMA) as well as funding from other community organizations and foundations.
Food and fund drives such as the State and County Employee's Food Drive, Oregon Coast
Aquarium's Creatures of the Night/Sea of Lights, direct mailers and inserts in local utility bills,
and other activity throughout the community provide additional food & funding for countywide
support.
BeJeweled, the annual recycled Jewelry sale benefiting Food Share and its partners and
programs, is our biggest fundraiser of the year. 50 plus volunteers gave over 2,000 hours of
their time to this event in March of 2015. Proceeds from the one day sale were $27,312 with
additional revenue from sales on eBay and at Pirates Plunder at $7,263 for a grand total in
2014-15 of $35,507.
How we get the work done: Food Share employs a full time Executive Director, Nancy Mitchell, two full-time support and three part-time warehouse staff. A lion's share of the daily operations work of our 17 partner agencies falls to the 70-plus volunteers who give time each week to a community food pantry
or soup kitchen, who coordinate a food drive, and perform many other essential tasks involved
in our mission to support the food insecure residents of Lincoln County.
Community Involvement: Food Share is an active participant in the county's 10 year Plan to End Homelessness, Cooking Matters, The Lemonade Project, Project Homeless Connect, Lincoln County's Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), Samaritan Health's Catch Program, and Oregon Food
Bank/OSU Extension Services Healthy Pantry Initiative.
Our Donors and Volunteers Make a Difference: Food Share of Lincoln County could not fulfill its mission to alleviate hunger without the generous support of its donors and volunteers. We are grateful to those in the community who support us.
