Neighborhood Food Project
L to R: Evon Zerr, Vicki Wilson, Rene Joy
Neighbors helping Neighbors
If you haven’t heard about it, the Medford Food Project is responsible for those bright green bags you see every two months around town. It is a very simple way for you to help out people in our town and valley who need some help.
You simply take a green bag and each time you go to the store buy an extra non perishable item or two and put it in the bag. Once every two months, after you have placed a full bag on your front porch, your neighborhood coordinator picks it up and leaves you an empty bag. It’s that simple – and what a difference it is making. The food project started in Medford just six months ago and so far, we’ve collected around 100,000 pounds of food that has been distributed to more than 20 food banks and food kitchens in the valley.
The Food Project is a new paradigm for food banks — it’s a donor drive, not a food drive. Rather than asking for one-time contributions of food, volunteers enlist their neighbors to become long-term donors.
The neighbors commit to giving food every two months, which provides food pantries with a steady, year-round supply of food, and provides the donors with the ongoing satisfaction of making a real difference. Donors also get to know their neighbors, which builds a powerful sense of community. Everyone wins.
Jacksonville currently has around 20 Neighborhood Coordinators and Jacksonville residents have been doing a great job contributing. Many Coordinators enlist their kids – and have shared the positive experiences this has given them. We have many more neighborhoods to cover. Why not become a Neighborhood Coordinator yourself and ask your neighbors and friends to participate? You’ll find it very easy and very fulfilling.
Please contact one of Jacksonville’s District Coordinators:
Jerrine Rowley 541-702-2223
Faye Haynes 541-899-5996
or simply log on to the web site www.medfordfoodproject.com.