Cool wheels New van enables Community Connection to transport refrigerated items to food banks

MOBILE PANTRY: Carmen Gentry, food bank manager for Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, shows off the refrigeration-equipped van that is a a key to the success of the Fresh Alliance Program. The van, purchased with funds from Oregon Housing and Community Services, is used to transport perishable products including fresh fruits and vegetables. - The Observer/BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH

The non-profit social service agency that serves Union, Wallowa, Baker and Grant counties recently added equipment for transport and storage of perishable goods.

A van with refrigerated cargo space, refrigerators and freezers  for food banks in outlying areas, and a large, centrally-located freezer-cooler unit all support the Fresh Alliance Program, which provides fresh fruits and vegetables and other perishables donated by Albertsons and Wal-Mart for food bank clients.

“Without those things, we wouldn’t be able to participate in the program,” said Community Connection Food Bank Manager Carmen Gentry.

During the 2007-2009 budget cycle, the Oregon Food Bank asked Oregon Housing and Community Services for funding to build capacity and improve infrastructure.

The request, which had strong support from Gov. Ted Kulongoski, was approved, with food banks all over Oregon benefiting.

“The money was divided equitably, so the smaller food banks got the same as the larger ones. That really boosted capacity-building for us,” Gentry said.

Community Connection received $59,000 of the state money. The agency spent $39,000 to purchase a van equipped with refrigerated cargo space.

“We originally planned to open an on-site food pantry with extended hours but decided to use the money so it would benefit the four-county region we serve,” Gentry said, adding that the cost of the van would have been higher without a hefty discount from Legacy Ford of La Grande.

The van, a Ford E-350 with a 4,000-pound payload, is equipped with drop-down tire chains and should prove to be reliable in winter weather, Gentry said.

She said Community Connection will soon launch a mobile pantry pilot program. Using the van, workers will transport and deliver perishable foods to food banks throughout the four-county service area.

“There are models for that program all over the United States, but not in Oregon. We will be one of the first to put it out there,” she said.

With the remainder of the state money and also grants from the Meyer Trust and Ford Family Foundation, Community Connection added more improvements to the food bank system. These include refrigerators and freezers for food pantries in the outlying areas, and installation of a large freezer-cooler unit at Community Connection’s Union County storage facility.

“The freezer-cooler gives us significant storage,” said Gentry. “We can hold about 12 pallets in the freezer and 10 in the cooler, which is a lot of food.”

The nationwide recession continues to take a toll on families in the region, and Gentry said she expects pressure on area food banks to remain high.

“The number of people coming in to get help hasn’t decreased by any means,” Gentry said. “People have been hanging on, but with their unemployment benefits running out they’re going to start to feel the pinch,” she said.

Other signs that hard times continue are a rising number of clients having trouble paying their utility bills and rent or house payments, Gentry said.

“We’re seeing people who are moving out of their homes and combining households,” she said.

The addition of the van and other equipment will make it possible to safely provide wholesome food for families who are struggling. It’s far more than pasta in a box, or soup in a can.

“The biggest thing for us is getting out to the stores and getting that product we couldn’t get before,” Gentry said.