New program launched in Crook County to combat food insecurity

A new organization has been launched in Crook County to enable local residents to combat food insecurity throughout the year.

Crook County Green Bags (CCGB) is an organization that is designed to make it easy for people to help those who are facing food insecurity issues. Kristi Hiaasen, who is on the CCGB Steering Committee points out that more than 2,600 members of our Crook County community, including more than 1,100 children, rely on local food banks and free food programs to help meet their nutritional needs. In the last five years, demand in Crook County for food from these resources has doubled as an increasing number of families rely on them throughout the year.

The CCGB “food project” model first originated in Ashland, Oregon, in 2009, and it has since spread to more than 60 other locations throughout the country. The local project started this past January, with the first collection this past May when 1,100 pounds of food was donated. Another collection was scheduled on July 20 at the Prineville Elks Lodge.

“The Green Bag model uses neighborhood coordinators to cultivate a list of donors,” said Marlise Jay, CCBG Steering Committee. “The donors might be actual neighbors, but they might be a group of co-workers, friends or relatives. The group can be as large or as small as the Neighborhood Coordinator wishes.”

The neighborhood coordinator provides each donor with an empty green reusable grocery bag and a list of preferred items. When donors do their regular shopping, they can pick up an extra item or two to donate and put it in the green bag when they get home.

On the morning of the third Saturday of each odd-numbered month, donors leave their filled bag on the front porch for the neighborhood coordinator to pick up and take to the collection site where it is weighed and sorted. Each donor gets a new green bag that will be collected in two months. The donated food is distributed through partners like St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and Redemption House Ministries. All the food remains in Crook County.

Hiaasen stressed that food insecurity is a problem that warrants attention throughout the year.

“We often think of food drives as special events during the holiday season, but food insecurity is a daily issue for many in our community year-round,” Hiaasen said.

Going forward, CCGB is looking for more help in order to reach more people who are facing food insecurity issues in Crook County.

“We are looking for individuals who want to be Neighborhood Coordinators,” said Rebekah Lambert, executive director of Crook County Foundation. “The Green Bag Project is really about building community one neighborhood at a time. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s affordable because donors do what they can do.”

For more information about being a Crook County Green Bag Neighborhood Coordinator, email ccgreenbags@gmail.com.