Nearly 40% of Malheur County’s children live in poverty, more than double the state average and ranking second only to Wheeler County, according to Oregon by the Numbers. Thirteen percent of the county’s roughly 30,500 residents report they face insecurity, and only 12% report having a healthy diet.
In response to the poverty faced by Malheur County residents, Oregon State University Extension faculty and staff have served as planners, organizers and facilitators of “Poverty Simulation” events, held since 2018.
The Adrian Food Pantry was established in January 2019 after the principal of Adrian High School and several other townspeople attended a Poverty Simulation in Ontario. The previous year, the small town’s only grocery store closed, forcing locals to drive nearly 25 miles round trip to the nearest store. This created hardships for low-income families and those that have transportation challenges with transportation.
Extension staff and faculty were brought in as a resource to help plan for the food pantry. In its first year operating out of the high school, the pantry distributed roughly 90,000 pounds of food to 122 unique households comprising 527 individuals. During that time, the pantry received approximately 6,500 pounds of donated foods from local donors.
“From the very beginning the community was excited to see the food pantry be established and the volunteer base has grown from seniors greeting shoppers to school-age children helping shoppers load groceries in their cars or keep the little children entertained while their parents shop,” said Barbara Brody, associate professor of practice for 4-H/Family & Community Health, and SNAP-Ed manager for Malheur County Extension. “The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and continues to grow stronger.”
Extension has helped ensure that Food Hero resources and recipe tastings have been front and center for the pantry volunteers and participants. Food Hero is an initiative of Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program and developed by OSU Extension. Food Hero messaging is also found in the school cafeteria, and classroom education.