Marion Polk Food Share

06/12/2026

This week, Food Share staff helped the Youth Farm prepare for the upcoming season by planting varieties of lettuce and bok choi, which Youth Farmers will cultivate and harvest during the 10-week Summer Youth Farm Program. Staff also got to harvest some garlic scapes! 🥬🧄

06/10/2026

Soaring gas prices are hitting families hard. Especially in rural areas where people commute further for basic needs. Federal cuts to SNAP have driven more people to food pantries. No family should have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table. Find food near you in seconds at our website: marionpolkfoodshare.org/find-food

06/05/2026

With costs soaring, here are some ways to make your SNAP benefits go further!

🫛 Check out local farms that accept SNAP
💸Use Double Up Food Bucks at farmers markets and CSAs
🪴 Grow your own food at home or a community garden
🍏 Supplement by going to a food pantry

We're here to help! Go to this link to find food near you: https://marionpolkfoodshare.org/find-food/

06/04/2026

Meet Penny, who has been coming to Iskam Food Pantry in Grand Ronde on and off for about ten years.

"It’s a really great thing to have in the community to go to once a week. I volunteer here. They give away a lot of food, which can be so helpful.”

Penny receives SNAP benefits but mentioned that the funds do not always cover the entire month’s food expenses. Iskam has a strong focus on food and community building – from food distribution, community clothing swaps, diaper bank deliveries, and culturally relevant classes for growing traditional crops, ceremonial recipes, and food preservation techniques.

Marion Polk Food Share would like to thank: Roundhouse Foundation and community members for supporting Iskam MәkhMәk-Haws so that we can provide nutritious food to our neighbors facing hunger.

Read Penny’s story here: https://marionpolkfoodshare.org/penny-finds-a-decades-worth-of-community-at-iskam/

06/03/2026

Big thanks to Pfeifer Roofing, Inc. for helping support food access in Marion and Polk Counties!

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who requested a free estimate in May! Because of you, we're donating 1,074 meals to Marion Polk Food Share to support families right here in our community.

For those of you who don't know—for every single estimate we write, we donate three free meals to Marion Polk Food Share. Need your roof, gutters or skylight checked? Schedule your free estimate today, protect your home, and help us provide more meals for our neighbors this month!

Press the Call Now button to schedule an appointment 👇

06/02/2026

Come visit the Willamette Art Center in their new home and support food access in this community. Save the date for the Empty Bowls event November 21, 2026!

“This sale is a wonderful opportunity to help feed those in need while also getting an early start on holiday shopping,” said Pam Baldwin and Carla Axtman, co-chairs of the planning committee. “Some incredible potters with decades of experience have donated their work, and it’s exciting to see all the beautiful pieces coming in for the sale.” The sale will showcase ceramic planters, dishes, vases, mugs, cups, luminaries, platters, pitchers, and other handmade pottery. Proceeds from the event will benefit both Marion Polk Food Share and the Willamette Art Center. Come visit us in our new home at 3995 Fairview Industrial Dr SE #100, Salem, OR.

05/28/2026

Mo volunteers in our warehouse every week. Now she’s passing on the joy of volunteerism to her 9-year-old grandson, Oliver. He and Mo come to the Food Share during the summer months when he’s out of school.

“Oliver has learned what it means to help the community for folks who need food assistance,” Mo said. “I believe that all of what we do is based in relationships — relationships not just with people we know, but with people we want to get to know better, and folks we do not know but we know are in need.”

Read Mo and Oliver’s story here: https://marionpolkfoodshare.org/nurturing-a-new-generation-of-volunteers/

05/25/2026

CLOSED Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 26.

05/22/2026

It was great hosting The New York Times to document our warehouse and amazing volunteers hard at work even as skyrocketing gas prices make doing our work more difficult. High gas prices impact our ability to:

⛽ Pick up food
🚛 Drop off food
👪 Serve families through our community programs

Hunger is at a ten-year high. Soaring health care and living costs make things even more difficult for families. No one should have to choose between paying the bills and putting food on the table.

Want to learn more and support food access in this community? Full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/us/food-bank-gas-prices.html

05/16/2026

Thank you for supporting food access in this community! 💚