Oregon State University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

For more than 30 years, Linn Benton Food Share has been feeding Linn and Benton counties, because they are committed to the idea that no one goes hungry in the two-county area they serve. In order to efficiently move food to those in need, they work closely with local nonprofit groups throughout Linn and Benton counties.

OSU's partnership with the Linn Benton Food Share is multifaceted and is focused on the annual food drive in addition to regular service-learning projects. Every February teams across the institution participate in raising funds and collecting nonperishable food donations for the month. In 2021, OSU contributed a total of 5,043 pounds of food and $154,431 during the month of February (collectively equating to 467,378 meals).

The partnership is focused on economic redistribution, social equity, and food waste prevention, thus touching upon all three major pillars of sustainability. The partnership has existed formally since 2006 and involves leadership from Linn Benton Food Share and clients in evaluation and assessment of the food drives and determining the most needed food items to collect and buy via donation. Learn more here: https://communications.oregonstate.edu/events/events-and-projects/osu-food-drive.

In addition to the food drives, OSU partners with the Linn Benton Food Share to advance service-learning projects and coursework for students focused on human services and/or food security. Human Development and Family Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology students all engage with Linn Benton Food Share throughout the year via service-learning. Project needs are identified by Linn Benton Food Share and coordinated collaboratively between the Food Share's volunteer coordinator and OSU faculty and staff. OSU annually provides over 350 volunteers to the Linn Benton Food Share contributing more than 800 service hours.

OSU provides regular volunteers to the SAGE garden each term to support the SAGE garden's mission to advance garden-based education and address community food security. The food grown at SAGE is donated to local food banks and soup kitchens providing fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables to families in our community who cannot afford them. Community volunteers are at the heart of SAGE. Each year, more than 800 people come to help SAGE grow and over half of those volunteers come from OSU. 2020-2021 annual estimates for service contributions include 300 volunteers and 900 service hours.

The OSU Community Engagement & Leadership unit, plus the Crop and Soil Science and Horticulture departments all regularly coordinate projects with the SAGE garden. SAGE utilizes organic farming principles to promote ecological well-being while also focusing on providing healthy, nutritious food to low income community members. The SAGE garden manager is involved in training the Community Engagement & Leadership student staff on how to best prepare student volunteers to authentically and respectfully engage with the organization. SAGE garden staff and clients provide regular assessment and evaluation information to OSU partners to drive each term's project design and delivery. OSU students frequently are able to engage in the local food system by helping to grow food at SAGE garden and packaging food for distribution at Linn Benton Food Share thereby allowing students to learn about the integrated network of nonprofits in our community that are working to create a more equitable food system. Learn more about SAGE garden here: https://www.corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org/sage.

OSU is one of the founding partners of the the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, a network of hundreds of organizations in Corvallis, Oregon. It was formed in 2007 to bring together businesses, non-profits, faith communities, educational institutions, and government entities in the Corvallis area to accelerate the creation of a sustainable community - one that values environmental quality, social equity, and economic vitality. Participation in the Coalition is open to local organizations that support its vision, mission, goals and guiding objectives. http://sustainablecorvallis.org/

OSU's scope of involvement includes:
- Staffing various committees and action teams, including having the OSU Sustainability Officer (who is also one of the Coalition's founders and it's Vice Chair) serve on the Coalition Steering Committee, Executive Committee and Energy Action Team.
- Leadership of several action teams is coordinated by OSU staff and leverages university resources through these channels. University resources include additional volunteer labor, academic connections, meeting space, and other contributions.
- Coalition projects use the Corvallis campus as a living laboratory. Specifically, Energy Action Team, Water Action Team and Waste Reduction Action Team have catalyzed opportunities in this way.
- OSU Sustainability Office is the primary financial and logistical sponsor of the Coalition's annual sustainability Town Hall meetings, which are held on the Corvallis campus.
- Numerous internships have bridged between the Coalition, university and other community partners, adding value for community organizations and for OSU students.

Thanks to Emily Bowling with OSU's Community Engagement & Leadership, who also contributed to this credit.