The Ashland Food Angels project was begun in 1995 by Pamala Joy, with the purpose of retrieving food which would otherwise have gone to the landfills, and redirecting it to people in need in this area. Working on her own and starting with a once a week bread pick-up for the Northwest Seasonal Workers, within a year or so Pamala’s collection became a daily event and included a wide variety of food products, with a special focus on fresh produce. The food was soon being distributed to many other organizations. including Uncle Foods Diner, a free community meal sponsored by Peace House which was greatly in need of fresh food.
Over succeeding years, many other organizations were recipients of the free food, including children’s programs, senior centers, Native Americans, the Jackson County Fuel Committee, homes for those with special needs, and local food banks, especially the Ashland Emergency Food Bank. Although the volunteer team usually numbered about two dozen people of various ages and backgrounds, over the years hundreds of people were involved as helpful volunteers. About a quarter to a half million pounds of food were redistributed annually, keeping millions of pounds of usable food out of the landfill.
The Ashland Food Angels could not function without the hard work of many volunteers who have ranged in age from early teens to mid-80’s. Many have been students gaining community service hours or retirees with time to spare and an interest in serving the community. Others have been business people, parents, professionals such as doctors or nurses, and at one time even the police chief of Ashland lent a hand. Work was done every day year round, and volunteers bravely dealt with cold, heat, insects, broken vehicles, and a variety of other problems. Currently volunteers each donate about four hours weekly.
Food is collected each morning and evening from various sources, including The Market of Choice, Shop ‘N’ Kart, the Ashland Community Food Store, and organic farmers (in season), as well as from individual gardens and orchards.
The project was started when Pamala Joy asked each bakery in town to donate unsold bread, which nearly every bakery was willing to do. Currently, the Little Shop of Bagels, Organicos (in Phoenix), and the Market of Choice bakery are part of the project, as many other bakeries have closed. The Village Baker continues to donate bread to the Food Bank and others.
In the past food has also been donated by orchards, some caterers, some spiritual centers. food businesses, and some of Ashland’s restaurants, although most restaurants have little left over because of careful planning, so it was decided that collecting from restaurants was not efficient in terms of time and energy spent.
At the Food Angel garage food is sorted and reboxed for distribution. At this time most of the food goes to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank and Uncle Foods Diner, aimed at relieving some of the food needs of the most vulnerable residents of Ashland: those without homes or kitchens and low income families and individuals.
Food Angel Volunteers work with both the recipients and the food donors to educate and encourage increased awareness regarding recycling, as well as understanding of those in need.
With nearly thirty years of service Pamala Joy continues to hold the main focus for the project, supported by a changing number of volunteers, many of whom stay with the project for years. Pamala acts as a coordinator between the donors and the distribution groups, ensuring that each group is served in the best possible way. She enlists, trains and supports volunteers, keeping track of daily pick-ups and deliveries, serves as a network source for connecting people to services when needed, answers requests for food for special events, and ensures that food is distributed fairly and according to the needs of each group.
Pamala Joy has been the director and main organizer for the Food Angels in Ashland, Oregon since the mid-90’s. She is an inexhaustible force of nature, connecting donors with recipients such as shelters, food banks, and people making meals for those who are hungry. Now in her mid-70’s, Pamala continues to oversee the daily operations of this grass roots project.
She started the project by asking all the local bakers to donate unsold bread and, with the help of her then teenage daughter, Crystal, donated it to the Northwest Seasonal Workers. Soon she found other merchants who donated a wide variety of food, and many other organizations who helped to get the food out to people in need. Food Angels is an all-volunteer program and although the number of volunteers has varied throughout the past nearly three decades, the Food Angels continue to operate daily, closed only on Christmas Day.
