FFLC welcomes semi full of food to celebrate America’s 250th

from Rachel Anderson, Eugene Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

A full semitrailer of food arrived in Eugene Nov. 18 at Food for Lane County. The semi, from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contained over 35,000 pounds of shelf-stable goods, including flour, peanut butter, pasta, canned vegetables, oats, beans, and hot cocoa.

The food will be shared with food pantries and nonprofits throughout Lane County. The goal of these food items is to relieve hunger all over the county and to help people feel loved and remembered.

Executive Director Carolyn Stein of Food for Lane County said, “We are deeply grateful for this generous truckload donation of pantry staples from the Church of Latter-day Saints. It will help families fill their tables during the holidays. At a time when need in our community is at historic highs, this support means comfort, nourishment, and hope for thousands of our neighbors. We are incredibly thankful for our LDS community who step up when it matters most.”

The truck was dispatched from the Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City, Utah – a central food storage and production facility that is staffed and funded by voluntary contributions from members of the Church.

“We are grateful that we can draw upon the Bishops’ Storehouse and partner with Food for Lane County to help in this way,” said President Brant Cooper, a local ecclesiastical leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Eugene. “We realize that these are challenging times for our friends and some of our members with food insecurity. We care deeply about our community and are grateful for Food for Lane County and all that it does for our community.

Food For Lane County is a nonprofit food bank whose mission is to reduce hunger in the region.  FFLC works with local agencies and programs to help low-income individuals maintain access to healthy, nutritious food. Their programs include nutrition education, emergency food boxes, meal sites, gleaning, gardening, and youth outreach.

The food deliveries are part of the Church’s efforts to fulfill Jesus Christ’s commandment to love one another, by sharing goods with those in need. Camille N. Johnson, a leader of the Church in Salt Lake City, Utah who oversees many of the Church’s welfare initiatives, added, “No humanitarian effort is more foundational to Christ’s Church than feeding the hungry… As we serve together we extend the reach of Christ’s loving arms.”

Food for Lane County and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have cooperated over the years to provide wholesome food to those in need.

This shipment is part of America250 – the nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Over the next year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will send 250 semitrailers to food banks in all 50 states – including Hawaii and Alaska – to celebrate the birth of our country and the freedoms established therein. The trucks will be wrapped with the America250 and JustServe logos, underscoring the goal of making 2026, America’s semiquincentennial, a year of community service.