As the final Green Bag pickup of the year wraps up, we’re filled with awe and gratitude for our donors, volunteers, and the entire Ashland community.
This morning, your generosity brought in a remarkable 35,594 pounds of food to the Ashland Community Food Bank (ACFB). On a cold, foggy December morning, our Neighborhood Coordinators made their rounds, gathering green bags from porches and doorsteps across town.
And that’s not all.
A Community That Shows Up
Last month, during the off-month between regularly scheduled pickups, you stepped up again. In response to the ongoing federal food aid reductions including the November end of expanded SNAP benefits our community rallied. Through grassroots organizing and direct drop-offs, you donated over 9,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank in November alone.
Ask A Friend: A Simple Idea, A Lasting Impact
This season also marked the launch of our Ask A Friend campaign, inviting donors to extend a hand to someone new – a friend, a neighbor, a coworker and bring them into the Ashland Food Project family.
Thanks to your efforts, we’ve welcomed approximately 120 new donors into the program. That’s 120 new green bags, collected every two months. 120 more ways to keep the shelves of the Food Bank full. And it’s not too late if someone you know might like to join, you can still sign them up today.
The Real Impact: Stories from the Food Bank
Throughout this campaign, we’ve shared real client stories, snapshots of lives changed by your giving.
To close out the year, we introduced readers to J and T, two Food Bank clients who know just how far a green bag can reach. J, facing a recent health diagnosis, and T, adjusting to retirement, find stability and dignity in the food support they receive:
“We’ve had to rely on the Food Bank more than we ever imagined,” J said.
“There’s just no judgment when we walk through those doors,” T added. “The volunteers make us feel like we matter.”
These stories are powerful reminders that your donations translate directly into full pantries, warm meals, and peace of mind for hundreds of neighbors in need.
Looking Ahead with Gratitude
As 2025 comes to a close, we want to say thank you.
Whether you fill a green bag, make deliveries, organize your neighborhood, or support this work behind the scenes, you make it all happen.
From all of us at the Ashland Food Project,
Thank you for your commitment, time, and generosity.
Let’s keep this spirit going into the new year.