Cave Junction Food Pantry receives $28,000 in funding.

More help is needed in soothing growing hunger crisis.

Cave Junction, Ore., December 21, 2020—
Cave Junction Community Services food pantry at the Cave Junction Seventh Day Adventist Church
has received notification of a $10,000 grant from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation to fund capital upgrades to its facility and to cover part of the basic operations cost of distributing food. In addition, a $7,000 grant from the Patricia D. and William B. Smullin Foundation has provided critical funding to repair the walk-in freezer unit and the electrical upgrade required to support the refrigeration.

$10,000 has been granted by the City of Cave Junction from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for repair of the walk-in refrigerator, renovation of both walk-in refrigeration units, flooring and walls, and surfacing of the food distribution tables to meet Health Code requirements, and the acquisition of a dishwasher. Another $1,000 is committed from the Four Way Community Foundation in honor of the late Harry Mackin, who was a stalwart volunteer in the fight against hunger.

While these funds are essential to establish a successful food distribution system, they do not address ongoing costs such as food purchases, utilities, and other much-needed items required to keep the doors open. “Donations from local households will be a critical factor in our ability to keep the wolf from
the door for our neighbors during this time of unprecedented difficulty. It’s wonderful that regional
foundations and our City of Cave Junction believe in us. Now, do we believe in ourselves?” asks Patti
Delk, the program’s founder. “Every dollar donated stays right here in the Illinois Valley to help feed our own community. We need your help. Please give.”

Donations may be sent by a check written to the Cave Junction SDA Church; please write in the memo section of the check “for CJCS” and mail your check to the Cave Junction SDA Church (501c3), P.O. Box 330, Cave Junction, OR 97523. All donations are fully tax deductible. Volunteers are also needed to help with socially distanced and masked jobs such as picking up food in Grants Pass, assembling food boxes, maintaining records using Excel, and numerous other tasks. If you are interested in volunteering call Tyler Schaffer (541) 659-3319. To learn more about CJCS please call Patti Delk (541) 415-1491 or follow us on Facebook under Cave Junction SDA Community Services.