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PLEASE READ ABOUT OUR NEW CLIENT CHOICE OPTION COMING TO EAST COUNTY FOOD PANTRY SATURDAY MARCH 4TH:
Coming Soon: More Options for the Community
There are some exciting changes coming with how we will be distributing food at the East County Food Pantry.
On March 4, 2023, we will give you the option of either:
a) Staying in your car and receiving pre-made bags of food in our drive-thru like we have been doing, or
b) Parking your car, coming inside, and picking out your own groceries.
We hope these changes will provide you more options and give you more of the ability to choose what works best for your household. Plus, there will probably be less food waste as people can pick the food that they want and will eat. Also, it will be better for the environment with less gas fumes of running cars and there will be less of a need for us to purchase lots of bags as some people may park their cars and bring their own bags to carry out their groceries. (But, if you prefer to stay in your car, we are happy to still bring pre-made bags to you.)
Additionally, we will implement some options to improve the waiting-in-line experience. We have designed a way in which people can get a number in the order in which they arrived and then wait in a variety of places. They can wait in their parked car, inside our fellowship hall enjoying coffee and pastries, or play in the playground with their children while being notified on their phone that they are next in line. We will expand our hours and create a way to spread out our supply of specialty foods throughout the morning so that there are still some good choices left for people who may arrive later.
This will be a work in progress. So, please be graceful with us when we start to make the transition next month. We will update you with more information as we go. And, we would like to invite you to a community meeting over Zoom to share more about the transition and receive some of your input. The meeting will be on Tuesday, February 28 at 7:00 pm. Here is the ZOOM link – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89191115165
Thank you for being flexible and working with us in serving our community with care, collaboration, dignity, and love.
New Registration System for the East County Food Pantry
Beginning on March 4, 2023, we are requiring all food pantry recipients to register with us through the link2feed system.
This new registration system will help speed up the intake process and reduce paperwork. It will also help us to better serve our communities by gaining a better understanding of people’s experiences and backgrounds so that we can improve our programs and advocate for more resources to benefit our neighbors.
You will only need to provide your information once and then you can use your link2feed number at any Oregon Food Bank partner agency that also uses the Link2Feed system. If you have any questions or need help filling out this form, please ask a staff person or volunteer onsite. We are happy to help.
You have four options for how you can make sure that you are registered with us:
1) You can tell one of our registrars at our food panty that you are already on link2feed through another pantry in the Oregon Food Bank and that your information has been updated in the last 6 months.
3) You can fill out a paper form and then give the paper copy to one of our registrars at the food pantry. (See attached in English and Spanish and Ukrainian)
2) You can sit down with one of our registrars at the food pantry and have them fill out the form on your behalf.
(paper copies of various languages will be available at the food pantry during the months of February and March)
4) You can fill out the online registration form at any time with your own computer or smartphone at the following link – https://forms.gle/VC2Tczp6sdi8J5TU6
If you are a regular recipient of the East County Food Pantry, we ask that you please pre-register before March 4 so that we are not overwhelmed on the first day of this new system.
Our Mission Statement
The East County Food Pantry at Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church is a group of volunteers and public servants dedicated to providing free food resources to anyone in need while building positive relationships among the community in such a way that fosters collaboration, health, dignity, and love.
Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this food pantry is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
East County Food Pantry 