Blanchet House, a social services nonprofit in Old Town, is a hero, well, in the sense of “rescuing” tons of food bound for the bin.

Julie Showers, content, communications and public relations director for Blanchet House, described this heroic act as mutually beneficial. Plus, it’s free food for the nonprofit.

“We’re able to take it in, turn it into meals and quickly share it,” Showers described. “Otherwise, it would just end up in a landfill, so we save tons of food every year.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food waste is an estimated 30% to 40% of the food supply.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service and residential sectors, and most of this waste — about 60% — was sent to landfills.

Sometimes, Blanchet House receives pallets of tomatoes or artichokes; other times, it’s leftover broiled trout from a local catering service, and although it’s a mixed bag, Showers said their chefs are easily adaptable.

Or the livestock will happily eat what’s left over at the Blanchet Farm in Yamhill County.

“We’re pretty much almost zero waste,” Showers said. “The surplus food in America is a huge problem.”

Not only are the tons of food free, but they’re good goods. Residents dedicate time to inspect the surplus food coming in and ensure its quality. And on Saturdays, it’s pizza night thanks to local pizzerias.

So, let’s look at some numbers:

How many partners donate food to Blanchet House, on average?
About 20 regular food donors give them items, including Trader Joe’s, Lucky Lab and Pacific Coast Fresh.

How many pounds of food does Blanchet House take in on average per month?
In the past three months, Blanchet House averaged 32,227 pounds of donated food per month, or about 16 tons per month.

How many partners does Blanchet House share its surplus food with?
Blanchet House has about six regular agencies, and its farm in Yamhill County, that it redistributes food to on a regular basis. Showers said she has a list of 10 more agencies that would like to receive goods. She said the frequency of requests is increasing as well.

How has clientele changed this year compared to last? 
Showers said in the seven and a half years she’s been with Blanchet House, this year is different: The line never ends during meal time.

In February 2024, Blanchet House served 27,467 meals, compared to 29,061 meals this year — a 1,594 difference.

Into the month of April, following federal cuts to food banks, Showers said the lines persist and are endless during the one-hour-long mealtimes.

Blanchet House is unique in that it serves three meals per day, which is about 1,000 to 1,200 meals per day.

“We’re unique in that we have a built-in population of people who need food,” Showers explained. “We know reliably every day that we’re going to have hundreds of people come in.”

The two full-time chefs, will the help of sous chefs, often craft up a rice-based meal or stew awaiting the mystery ingredients to be picked up from the grocers. If it’s too much for their use, emails are sent out like rapid fire for local partners to come pick up the extras.

Showers said what’s interesting is nobody really knows when this whole grocer partnership started.

“They’ve always adapted to the need of people who are hungry, and Blanchet House was so motivated by helping, they didn’t keep records,” she explained.

When Scott Kerman stepped in as executive director, about five years ago, he implemented record keeping of food intake, meals being served and more.

It’s only clear that this has been going on for some years, at least so long as Showers has been around.

This year has been different, Showers said, comparing it to years past. As food banks face federal cuts to funding, more clients are leaning on Blanchet House.

“If other food providers who do get food bank food, if they’re having to tighten their belt and serve less, they’re going to seek out places like Blanchet House,” she said.

Federal food bank cuts 
The USDA announced in late March that it would cancel $500 million in shipments to food banks nationwide, cutting off a critical supply chain for food banks and schools across the country.

Locally, the Oregon Food Bank, which supplies food to 21 regional banks and about 1,400 distribution sites statewide, expects $6 million worth of food likely will not be delivered over the spring and summer, as previously reported by Your Oregon News, a sibling publication of the Portland Tribune.

The Oregon Food Bank reported a 31% increase in visits in 2024.

Showers said they will continue monitoring trends of how many people are coming to best serve the increase demand.

“For the first time ever, that I’ve been here, the lines are never ending during these meal services,” she said. “We used to be able to offer a second, third, fourth plate, and we’ve not been able to do that.”

For more information, visit blanchethouse.org.