This April, free meals for hungry people will be available in Ashland four days per week. Beginning April 5th, the Peace House “Uncle Food’s Diner” will return to a seated Tuesday Community Meal. This replaces two years of COVID-related street deliveries to those in need. Jobs With Justice will continue to offer free dinner on Thursdays and Fridays, and the Monday Meal team will continue to deliver every Monday.
In March of 2020, the caring Ashland community organized “non-congregant” access to free meals seven days a week to minimize the spread of COVID among the unhoused or hungry due to unemployment, illness, disability or other issues. Coordination came from Oregon State Representative Pam Marsh, Peace House, Jobs With Justice and the Monday Meal. All of those involved in the work have shown that, “everyone deserves to eat, with dignity.”
Peace House extends its appreciation for each of the people and organizations who have made the project successful. This includes volunteers, staff, farmers, partner organizations, and private donors. Without each contribution, the program could not have provided those in need such high quality food options. We also extend deep gratitude to the Ashland community for all the ways it has supported the meal project over the last two years. It truly took a village.
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The Peace House Uncle Food’s Diner
With the onset of COVID-19, things shifted fast for the Peace House Uncle Food’s Diner and the Tuesday Community Meal. The free meal risked a complete shutdown, which would have left unhoused people in Ashland with even fewer options for access to food. We worked quickly to devise a creative solution with our partners, and, in less than a week we began preparing and delivering hot meals on the street. Since our senior volunteers were directed to avoid all in-person contact, it was necessary to hire a small kitchen staff and purchase a cargo van. This was only possible because of contributions by individual donors, local grocers, private grantors, Ashland’s United First Methodist Church, and federal COVID emergency funds.
Since March of 2020, Uncle Food’s distributed an average of 120 meal bags four days per week. The bags included a hot meal, and many “extras” like sandwiches, salads, soups, yogurts, and desserts. In addition, the project provided food for residents at both the Rogue Retreat and OHRA shelters in Ashland.
The crew at Uncle Food’s Diner did not miss a beat during the pandemic, and no cases of COVID-19 were reported until January, 2022, in one isolated case. The heroic dedication of the paid kitchen staff, all of whom possess professional skills, shines through their commitment. Amid staffing shortages, COVID risks, and continual uncertainty, the cooks continued with the project for two years.
Over the past two years, Uncle Food’s produced and delivered more than 100,000 meals! The success of the project required major support from a faithful corps of volunteers who helped to cook, package and deliver the meals.
Once effective COVID-19 vaccinations became available, the project saw a gradual increase of volunteers returning to Uncle Food’s, allowing Peace House to rely less on paid staff. Beginning in June of 2021, we estimate that volunteers have contributed nearly 100 hours per week. Now the Diner, which became a temporary emergency response effort, must scale back to one day per week as society opens up after a two year pandemic and more opportunities exist to fill the gap for hungry people.
Thank you to all of our partners and funders. Without them, this work would not have been possible.
Organizational Partners Include:
Jobs With Justice
The Monday Meal Program
The Ashland Emergency Food Bank
The Ashland Food Project
The City of Ashland
Food Angels
ACCESS
Market of Choice
Shop ‘n Kart
OHRA
Rogue Retreat’s Ashland Community ShelterOur Grantors include:
Oregon Community Foundation
Carpenter Foundation
Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation
Ashland Rotary Foundation
Tides Foundation
Rotary Club of Ashland
Roastingear and Oliver Family Foundation
Mountain Meadows Foundation
The Tides Foundation
Rotary Club of Ashland
