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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
Hunger Awareness - Cottage Grove Sentinel November 25, 2015 3D Nutrition Education Help us serve vets Coutrsey of Food for Lane County FOOD for Lane County’s Nutrition Education Program provides nutrition education, basic cooking skills and tips on how to stretch limited food budgets to income-eligible audiences throughout Lane County. We currently have two education programs: Cooking Matters and Cooking Matters at the Store. Cooking Matters Cooking Matters is a cooking-based nutrition education program. • Learn how to prepare healthy, tasty meals on a limited budget • Practice fundamental lessons including knife skills, read- ing ingredient labels and cutting up a whole chicken. • Learn how to make a healthy meal for a family of four on a $10 budget At the end of each lesson, participants take home ingredients to practice preparing the recipe taught that day. Classes are taught by volunteers and administered by FOOD for Lane County in partner- ship with Oregon Food Bank and with the support of Share Our Strength. Cooking Matters at the Store Cooking Matters at the Store meets adults at the grocery store for a learning experience that teachesparticipants how to make posi- tive changes to their food shopping habits. Topics include: • Reading and understanding nutrition fact labels and unit pricing • Choosing healthy food from every section of the grocery store • Other ways to stretch a food budget without minimizing quality If you are interested in scheduling classes or volunteering for the Nutrition Education Program, contact FFLC Nutrition Education Program Coordinator Dana Baxter or call (541) 343-2822 Ext. 356. by Katie Coutrsey of Food for Lane County Rob is a gentle guy, with a big heart and an easy smile. In 2003, his Army National Guard infantry unit got the call to go to war. Rob spent 14 months in Kuwait and Iraq. When he got back to the states, he was changed — angry, volatile and injured. His wife saw the change in his personal- ity and urged him to seek treatment. He received counseling for PTSD and medical attention for a traumatic brain injury at the Roseburg VA. Rob is grateful for the help he received, but a disability rating left him feeling useless. “I kind of shut myself away. I didn’t feel like I mattered to society anymore.” That turned around two years ago when Rob began volunteering at Daily Bread in Springfi eld, one of 31 emergency food pantries in the FOOD for Lane County network. “I just kind of fell in love with it. Being at the pantry I felt like I could be around peo- ple and function properly. Big word there — function. It boosted my self esteem.” “Many of the people we serve have some form of disability. I see other vets there. I can relate to them. I see that I’m not alone. It’s all worth it when that one person comes through who’s really hurting and they give you a hug saying ‘you helped me so much.’ The look of relief and hope I see on people’s faces when they get to feed their families for at least another week — some- times it brings me to tears. It’s a wonderful thing, and I’m glad to be a part of it.” Rob’s family is on a fi xed income, so they get a food box. Did you know that more people in Lane County are working but still need help? We surveyed pantry users and found that • 44% of households report some kind of income • 80% say they are able to meet their monthly food needs with the help of a pantry • 39% of households have watered down food or drink to make them last lon- ger • 82% say they did not have enough money to buy food in the past 12 months Remember our veterans this November, es- pecially those facing hunger and hardship. delivered with respect and compassion. The entire food banking system is built on partnerships and collaboration. While FOOD for Lane County administers many of its own programs, we rely on our net- work of approved partner agencies to dis- tribute the majority of the food we collect. All FFLC Partner Agencies are their own, independent, non-profi t or religious organi- zation. Most are staffed by volunteers and are great places to work and volunteer in direct service. FOOD for Lane County’s hunger relief efforts are focused on providing food as- sistance and increasing self-suffi ciency for our neighbors living on limited resources. Our mission of alleviating hunger by creating access to food is accomplished with tremendous support from our com- munity and through a variety of innovative programs. We continually work to develop programs and services that respond to the unique needs of special populations, and we work to ensure that these services are Programs for Seniors Coutrsey of Food for Lane County Meals on Wheel s FOOD for Lane County’s senior nutrition pro- grams (Senior Grocery and Meals on Wheels) are designed to meet the nutritional needs of adults 60 and older. Senior Grocery The Senior Grocery Program provides low-in- come seniors with a once monthly food box (or bag) fi lled with nutritious staple foods necessary to a balanced diet. Am I eligible? • To qualify for Senior Grocery you must be 60 years of age or older and at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. Please see the chart below • If you are over the income limit, you can still qualify by being enrolled in SNAP or Medicaid. • You will be asked to fi ll out an application and provide supporting documentation. The food for Senior Grocery comes to us through a federal program known as the Commodity Supplemental Food Program as well as grants from the Grainger Foundation and the Chambers Family Foundation. Contact our Senior Grocery Program Coordina- tor, Carly Petersen at (541) 343-2822 ext. 315. Meals on Wheels is more than just a meal! Friendly volunteers deliver a nourishing, freshly prepared noontime meal that is nutritionally balanced to provide one-third of a senior’s recommended daily nutrients. Volunteers have time for a brief chat and a safety check.Seniors who live alone feel more secure knowing that someone is checking on them regularly. Frozen meals are available for days we do not deliver or if requested. Where is Meals on Wheels available? Meals on Wheels is available in all parts of Lane County and will be delivered by either Senior & Dis- abled Services or FOOD for Lane County, depending on where you live. Am I eligible? • Meals on Wheels is available to people over the age of 60 and their spouses who cannot get out much due to illness or advanced age and who are not eating properly, regardless of their income. • Each caller will be interviewed as soon as pos- sible to determine eligibility and an appointment will be made for a home visit. Subsidized meals are available as funding permits. Persons under age 60 may be eligible under the following circumstances: • Resident in a housing facility where a meal is served (River- view Terrace in Cottage Grove, Cresview Villa in Creswell, Olive Plaza and Jacobs Lane in Eugene) • Disabled depen- dent child living in a non-institu- tional household with a person over age 60 • Their Case Manager has au- thorized meals as part of their Medicaid in-home care service • They are willing to pay the full cost of the meal ($8 each). Cost • Meals are available to eligible people on a do- nation basis. There is no set charge for the meal. • The suggested donation is $3 per meal, but every eligible person is served regardless of the amount they give. FOOD for Lane County administers the Meals on Wheels program in the Eugene area, in part- nership with Lane Council of Government Senior & Disability Services. Request Meals on Wheels in the Eugene area: (541) 607-5065 Outside Eugene: (541) 682-3353, 800-441-4038, or TTY (541) 682-4567 Looking to do our part in the community... We are proud to support our community in which we live! “We specialize in supplying the highest quality Douglas fi r timbers and lumber for the most prestigious building projects around the globe.” “ We provide a wide range of products at the highest quality possible. Our production process allows us to produce rough timbers with incredible accuracy. 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