New Partnership Provides Fresh Harvest Kits to Central Oregon Seniors

August 21, 2023August 28, 2023 Nutrition

Summer is produce season, and the Council on Aging of Central Oregon (CoA) is celebrating the harvest bounty with a freshly established partnership with High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA). HDFFA and CoA are coordinating the preparation and distribution of twenty weekly Fresh Harvest Kits to Meals on Wheels clients in Sisters, OR. These ready-to-make meal kits contain farm fresh vegetables, pantry staple items, a seasoning packet, and a recipe card. These two nonprofits are both dedicated to food security throughout Central Oregon, CoA through its meal programs and nutrition education, and HDFFA through its multiple food access programs and library of resources. 

Louise Shirley, Program Director at HDFFA, shares “We believe everyone deserves good food. We are excited to improve access to fresh, locally grown food for seniors in our community through this new partnership.”

The program started on July 26th and runs every Wednesday for ten weeks. Volunteers at CoA’s Senior Services Center in Bend assemble Fresh Harvest Kits with 5-10 pounds of fresh vegetables sourced from Agricultural Connections, dry pantry goods like rice and pasta, spices from the Savory Spice Shop in the Old Mill, and a recipe chosen specifically for the needs of homebound individuals. After packing, volunteer drivers fan out across Sisters to deliver the kits to clients who have opted into the meal kit program. The Fresh Harvest Kits will be delivered in addition to the 137 meals that are delivered weekly to 29 clients on the Meals on Wheels program in Sisters. 

Says Cathy Lang, Director of Nutrition at CoA, “There are so many benefits to this new partnership: our clients get more nutritious food delivered weekly, they will learn new cooking techniques, and it’s an opportunity to gather over a home-cooked meal. We are already looking forward to growing this program to other Central Oregon cities in the upcoming years.”  

HDFFA delivered 2,130 kits in 2022 through partnerships across Central Oregon, reaching approximately 5,200 individuals. The program grew by 83% from 2021 to 2022 to meet increasing demand. Each of the seven sites gets to choose kits from the recipe catalog that will best suit their clients’ needs. Recipes are available in English and Spanish. CoA is delivering meal kits that are tailored to clients with limited mobility.

The recipes are developed with feedback from the HDFFA nutritionist, the HDFFA Food Security Advisory Committee, and organizations like Oregon State University’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education program. 

Council on Aging received funding for Meals on Wheels from the Older Americans Act, Meals on Wheels America, United Way of Central Oregon, Ron W. Naito MD Foundation, Harvest Foundation, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, Marinus Newhouse Charitable Fund, Les Schwab Tire Centers, Washington Federal Foundation, and St. Charles Health Systems. HDFFA’s Fresh Harvest Kit program is made possible by the Oregon Health Authority, Central Oregon Health Council, and the USDA Community Food Project.