About Us

About Our Hunger Foundation

Our Mission, Goals, & Values

Our Mission is to alleviate hunger in Western Lane County

OUR HISTORY

Food Share started out as “Manna Ministries”, a grass-roots effort to help provide emergency food to Florence area residents, in 1980. Manna Ministries was put together by a group of churches in Florence and operated out of people’s garages and car trunks. Joe and Eulah Aringdale and Bundy and Rose Albertoni were the lead volunteers in this effort. In the mid to late 80’s health concerns required that both couples give up the Manna Ministries work.

Florence Food Share then moved to, and began working out of the Siuslaw Area Women’s Center building. Food Share operated under the umbrella of the Florence Area Coordinating Council while a group of individuals worked to secure the tax-exempt, 501(c)3 status. In 1988 Florence Food Share found a home at the Laurelwood Center on Maple Street in Florence.

In 1994 Florence Food Share moved to its permanent home at 2190 Spruce Street, on land leased from the New Life Lutheran Church. The Food Share building was built with the help of grants and a local building fund drive led by Del Phelps and Dave Dahlberg; local contractor Robert Wilcox led the volunteers and paid workers to the completion of the building still in use today.

WHO WE ARE

Florence Food Share is a private, non-profit, emergency food box pantry. Our mission is to alleviate hunger in Western Lane County, Oregon. We provide emergency food, free of charge, to low income, disabled, senior, unemployed and underemployed individuals and households in the areas of Florence and the Dunes City/Westlake areas of coastal Oregon.

OUR VOLUNTEERS:

Florence Food Share is blessed to have the help of the most dedicated long term volunteers, who give of their time selflessly, every day, week after week. We LOVE our volunteers! If you would like to become a member of this special group of people, please come in to the pantry and fill out a volunteer application. It’s a great way to make friends while “giving back” to the community.

President
Head Gardener, Bart Meale

Sherry Dutcher
Vice President

Jen Hibbs
Treasurer 

Beth Bolerjack
Secretary

Ilene Colby
Board Member

Rick Klessig
Board Treasurer

Dianna Berry
Board Member

Todd Smitherman
Foodshare Accountant

Our Staff

Stephen Beale, Operations Specialist.

​Sheri Susee, Operations Assistant.

Jeff Kernan, Warehouse Delivery Driver.

​Colin Morgan
Executive Director

A Message from our Director

Despite the unprecedented challenges over the last year and a half, the opportunities to learn and grow have provided some fantastic forward momentum in developing Florence Food Share. We are happy to bring Florence Food Share a multitude of improvements and updates over the current fiscal year. This website is one of many that our wider community has gifted us with the opportunity to provide. My profound thanks for sticking with us throughout the compounded uncertainty of the last year and a half. It is my great honor and privilege to serve with such a wonderful collection of individuals.
We could not do this without you.

This years impact

Over 547,000 Pounds Distributed
Over 1000 individuals served
Over 9000 Volunteer Hours
over 390 supporters

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