Wednesday, January 21, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Food bank feeds hundreds in Sisters
TRAIl uSERS:
Representatives to
gather in Sisters
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
Continued from page 3
“In the past, there was
a trail-user group facili-
tated by the Forest Service
in the Sisters Ranger
District to bring all the trail
groups together to collabo-
rate on trail needs,” Racki
said.
“It’s been nearly two
years since we’ve had all
the trail-group representa-
tives or leaders together,”
she said. “The purpose of
the group is to share trail
information and stewardship
messaging.”
The Sisters Trail User
Group will reconvene
Wednesday, January 21,
from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at the
Sisters Ranger District
office at Pine Street and
Highway 20 in Sisters. The
Forest Service is inviting all
interested community trail
group leaders from motor-
ized and non-motorized trail
groups. The meeting will
be facilitated by Deschutes
National Forest Public
Affairs Officer Kassidy
Kern.
The purpose of the
group will be to collaborate,
share trail information, and
23
photo provided
amy racki is inviting sisters area
trail user groups to a meeting this
evening at the forest service office
in sisters.
hopefully serve as a work-
ing group for trail steward-
ship. The group will dis-
cuss long-term goals and
objectives of the Sisters
Trail User Group during
this meeting. In celebra-
tion of the 50th Anniversary
of the Wilderness Act
last year, there will be
a short presentation on
Wilderness.
“I am fairly new to this
position and very excited
to meet community leaders
that are regularly engaged in
serving their country through
trail volunteerism on public
lands,” said Racki.
Sisters Kiwanis Food
Bank is an essential service
for many families in Sisters
Country.
From folks camping in
the woods to working fami-
lies that aren’t pulling in
enough to keep food on the
table through the month, the
Kiwanis Food Bank is the
difference between the stress
of food insecurity and the
comfort of knowing there’s
something for dinner.
Kiwanian Dan Stearns
provided food bank data to
The Nugget.
Approximately 25 per-
cent of recipients are camp-
ing or homeless (for which
there is no clear definition).
Approximately 50 percent of
the food bank recipients are
regulars; they receive food
every month. The other 50
percent receive food sporadi-
cally or one time only.
Stearns said the food bank
consistently serves about 100
clients per month. The high
was 129 in October. Some
are individuals and some are
families, so the individual
number is higher.
“It has been really sta-
ble,” he said. “It’s about 100
photo by Jim Cornelius
the sisters Kiwanis food Bank is a vital resource for many families in
sisters Country.
families a month and has
been for quite a while.”
A typical family of four
received 100-125 pounds of
food each month.
Eligibility for food bank
services is determined by
household income. Eligibility
for the food bank is not veri-
fied; the recipient’s signature
is accepted as verification.
The criteria requires that
household income falls below
USDA guidelines ($29,000
per year for a family of two.
$44,000 per year for a family
of four).
All the food was paid for
by community donations,
totaling $126,000 for 2014.
According to Stearns,
food is purchased locally at
Ray’s Food Place at a dis-
count and Ray’s donates
food not expected to sell.
Melvin’s Fir Street Market
also sells Kiwanis food at a
discount and donates food
not expected to sell. The
nonprofit NeighborImpact
gives Kiwanis food at a
nominal (essentially zero)
cost.
Kiwanis Food Bank is
also one of the distribution
sites for the Furry Friends
Foundation pet food bank.
To make a tax-deductible
contribution to the Kiwanis
Food Bank, send checks to
P.O. Box 1296, Sisters, OR
97759.