Ronald McDonald House Partners with Oregon Potato Commission and Farmers Ending Hunger Partner to Provide Monthly Potato Donations to Guests
When the Ronald McDonald House reached out to the Oregon Potato Commission (OPC) with an interest in highlighting healthy local foods as part of their culinary offerings, it made sense to include the official state vegetable of Oregon. The non-profit has faithfully served thousands of families and children during challenging times, and it was seeking a way to highlight hardworking farmers who grow the healthy ingredients it uses for meals.
Working with OPC and Farmers Ending Hunger through the Oregon Food Bank Network, the Ronald McDonald House can provide Oregon-grown potatoes for meals for guests.
“To date, the OPC has been providing Ronald McDonald House with 150 pounds of fresh potatoes each month. Those potatoes have been used in a variety of delicious meals, including a baked potato bar and other spud-centric meals. Oregon Potato farmers are thrilled to donate over a million pounds of potatoes annually to the Oregon Food Bank, and OPC is pleased to help the Ronald McDonald house and the special work they do to support families in their time of crisis,” said Gary Roth, Executive Director of the Oregon Potato Commission.
“We are so grateful for this donation. Our two Portland Houses are dividing the 150 pounds of potatoes per month—100 pounds to the larger South Waterfront House, and 50 pounds to the East House. The potatoes are being made available to our guest families to use in the kitchen however and whenever they wish, as well as being incorporated into our volunteer-prepared meals,” said Meals & Partnerships Manager Stephen ‘Ano’i Garfield. “We have seen these potatoes served as roasted potato wedges, mashed potatoes, fortifying curries and soups, breakfast potato hashes, and more!”
Using Oregon-grown potatoes is not just satisfying and nutritious, but also an opportunity for guests at the Ronald McDonald House to learn about where their food comes from and the farmers who work hard to feed the world. These potatoes are sourced from Threemile Canyon Farms in Eastern Oregon and donated to the Oregon Food Bank Network as part of the Farmers Ending Hunger program, where they are then picked up by the Ronald McDonald House team.
For the OPC and the farmers it represents, the donations are part of a continuous commitment to making a positive community impact.