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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 7, 2005 Capitalizing on spare food By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings There are many hungry people in the Ashland area and, as in an urban areas, much food gets wasted by local grocers and farmers. Joseph Kauth helps Pamela Joy sort Friday's assortment of collected food. Later, the pair will distribute the bounty to local nonprofits that make the food available to people in need. Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings But Ashland resident Pamela Joy has devised a way to make the two work together. Joy, a mime by trade, has organized a system of rescuing food that farms and grocery stores deem unsuitable for retail sale and distributing the bounty to the many area organizations that administer food to the less fortunate. "I was really struck by all the people going hungry in the world," said Joy, who has been dedicating seven days a week to this pursuit for the last 10 years. "I thought I could do something here to help in my own community. I wanted to do what my heart told me was the right thing." Joy has arrangements with the Ashland Food Co-op, Market of Choice, Shop-n-Kart, several area organic farmers and a few of the bakeries. From these locations, she picks up food three times a day - twice on weekends - and brings it to a central location where it is sorted and distributed so it can feed the most people. Some of the food is, in fact, too far gone for human consumption; that portion is used for compost or animal feed. But the lion's share of it goes to Head Start, the senior center, the Northwest Seasonal Workers and Peace House, where it is shared with needy Rogue Valley residents. An investment of time Joy, who volunteers her time, estimates her efforts help feed close to 1,000 families every week. She said she invests about 30 hours a week in the venture. "I never count the hours, I just do it," she said. "It feels like full-time. Sometimes I'll be just driving around in my car and I'll give some food to people standing on the side of the road who look like they may need it." She collects mostly fruits and vegetables, which she said are some of the most expensive and necessary components to a healthy diet. But there is also a generous supply of breads, pastries and other dried foods. In the spring and summer, there is more fresh, local food. At that time of the year, though, it also has a shorter shelf life. "A lot of the markets throw away food just because it is too bruised to sell," Joy said. "I just have them hold for me the food that they would otherwise throw into the dumpster." And this effort has proved highly beneficial for both the hungry people of the Valley and the organizations that assist them. "Pamela is just a great lady, let me tell you," says Carlotta Woolcock of the Northwest Seasonal Workers, a nonprofit organization that provides food and services to seasonal employees in the area. "She helps a lot of our members. There isn't a day that goes by when someone doesn't ask for it." Woolcock says Joy's efforts may save their members as much as $80 a month on their grocery bills, an amount that can then be applied to other areas of a family budget, such as utilities or medical costs. "Nutritious, quality food is hard to afford," she said. "Espe-cially this time of year, fruits and vegetable are expensive." Help those who help others In 2003, the Ashland Food Co-op awarded Joy the first ever Angel of Ashland Award, which she is very proud of. "I've been a performer all my life and I've gotten many awards but that is the one I am most proud of," she said. Over the years, Joy has developed a network of people who assist her in making this food available for those who need it. However, she still does most of the work herself. This, though, is becoming increasingly difficult because her aging car is becoming less and less reliable. Currently, she is seeking a transportation donation to help her continue her charitable efforts. She has been posting word of her request in and around different Rogue Valley locations. "I know there are people in Ashland who have an extra car," said Joy. "If they would like to put it to good use, I could sure use it." Until then, Joy will continue her program any way she can. She said that although she doesn't earn any income at it, she is doing what her heart instructs her to do. "There are a lot of people in Ashland living on the edge, just barely hanging on," she said. "I've had people come up to me and say, 'I don't know how I would get by if you didn't exist.'" Staff writer Bob Plain can be reached at 482-3456 ext. 3040 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress afsa studentloans home equity loans teleconferencing W2 Forms fasa student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation wholesale diamonds Currancy Exchange web conferencing Online Casinos Community Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams