News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
More people are seeking assistance from the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank this fall.
Kiwanian Linda Walker reports that numbers spiked into the 80s and 90s per month last fall when the economy's slide turned into a plunge.
"This month I've done 74 in three weeks, so we're seeing a jump again," she said. "We're seeing a lot of new people."
Walker said there are 30-plus people who regularly use food bank services. More come in sporadically when they hit a rough patch - an unexpected bill, or additional needs like school clothes. Some are employed sporadically and still more are employed seasonally and are now facing reduced hours or lost jobs.
"We have a lot of people who do work, and their paycheck doesn't cover all their expenses. We always encourage everybody, pay your other bills first, especially housing and utilities, because we can always get food for you."
That doesn't mean it's easy.
"Because we're seeing so many people, we're going through food very fast," Walker said. "We're always in need of food, there's no question about it."
Partners NeighborImpact, the Oregon Food Bank and the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide food, and several Sisters area churches purchase food for the Kiwanis Food Bank.
Walker said cash donations are the most helpful kind, because cash allows the Kiwanis to make specific purchases to fill particular needs.
Cash donations may be sent to P.O. Box 1296, Sisters, OR 97759.
Located on the corner of Main Avenue and Oak Street, the food bank is open every Thursday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on the first Thursday of the month it is open additionally from 5 to 7 p.m.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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