Category: Announcement

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Public Charge; What it is and how it affects you

**Note: these changes do not affect programs offered through the HSRC. Programs the HSRC offers are public education resources, not public services through the state**

**FEDERAL JUDGES HAVE NOW STOPPED THE PUBLIC RULE CHANGE FROM GOING INTO AFFECT ON OCTOBER 15, 2019. THAT MEANS THE RULE HAS NOT CHANGED AND THE RULES WILL NOT GO INTO AFFECT ON THAT DATE.**

Recently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made drastic changes to the way immigrants coming into the United States can get entry as well as to the way existing immigrants can apply for visas or green cards.

After attending the Public Charge Webinar for Oregon Service Providers, hosted by organizations like Causa and Oregon Law Center, the information that was provided to me was astounding. The changes to the Public Charge rule are important to our communities because as some in the webinar stated, folks have decided to discontinue using their benefits or applying for benefits altogether because of the misconceptions that came along with the change.

Public Rule under USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services):

“The final rule enables the federal government to better carry out the provisions of U.S. immigration law related to the public charge ground of inadmissibility. The final rule clarifies the factors considered when determining whether someone is likely at any time in the future to become a public charge is inadmissible under section 212(a)(4) of the INA, and therefore, ineligible for admission or adjustment of status.” Source

Under this new rule, USCIS states that this rule applies to: 

“applicants for admission, aliens seeking to adjust their status to that of lawful permanent residents from within the United States, and aliens within the United States who hold a nonimmigrant visa and seek to extend their stay in the same nonimmigrant classification or to change their status to a different nonimmigrant classification.” Source

“This has caused immigrant communities and families of mixed-status to discontinue applying for or receiving benefits that they are eligible for from the State of Oregon. This causes concern in the wider Human Services community. Spreading fear instead of accurate information on what this change actually does,” say some Causa staff members.

So what is Public Charge in plain language?

  • Public charge does not apply to every immigrant
  • Many public benefits do not count toward Public Charge
  • Public Charge benefits my benefit you and your family, not count against you
  • Public benefits =/= Public Charge

What is “Public Charge?”

  • “Public Charge” is a test that U.S. immigration officials apply when deciding if an immigrant will be permitted to stay or enter the country if they are “unable to take care of themselves without being a public charge” (USCIS, 2019).
  • The idea of Public Charge has been around for 100 years, and it’s been the same for the last 20 years
  • Public Charge has historically and continuously been used as a racialized tool to keep certain groups of people outside of the United States

What does the test look like?

  • The Public Charge test is when a federal immigration official decides whether an immigrant is going to, in the future, require more support of the U.S. Government
  • This is done by the official considering everything about a person
    • Their ability status, age, gender, etc.
  • The Public Charge test is only administered when someone is:
    • Applying to enter the U.S.
    • Applying to be a Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card)
    • A Lawful Permanent Resident re-enters the country after being outside of it for 180 consecutive days (6 months)
    • People who are applying for an extension of stay or current visas (as of Oct. 15, 2019)
    • Does NOT include when someone is applying to become a U.S. Citizen
    • Humanitarian Immigrants are exempt from this requirement, even if they are applying to become a Lawful Permanent Resident.

What is changing about the rule?

There are major changes happening to the definition of Public Charge. There are additional public benefits that are going to be considered by immigration officials, which we will name down below. There are also new “weighted” factors to the “totality of circumstances” test that make it harder for low and moderate income people to pass. One new requirement is that this test is also being extended to folks applying for extended visas or stay.

Changing Definitions

Another major change is how the USCIS is defining what a Public Charge is.

The old definition of a Public Charge was a person who was only using and living off of public benefits for most of their daily operations. Someone had to basically have nearly every single public benefit available to them and using it consistently to be considered a Public Charge.

Under this new definition, “any person who receives one or more public benefits… for more than 12 months in the aggregate within any 36-month period (such that, for instance, receipt of two benefits in one month counts as two months.”

What does that mean?

  • If an immigrant is more than likely to use 12 months of benefits in a 3 year period
    • In the aggregate means, they will count each benefit someone receives in a month as its own single month.
      • So, if someone gets TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) payment in one month, an immigration official will count them as TWO months in that three year period.

What benefits count under this new rule?

The list of benefits that count for Public Charge has expanded from 3 programs to 6. The programs listed below count towards Public Charge:

  1. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  2. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  3. Long term care in an institution
  4. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  5. Non-Emergency Medicaid for non-pregnant adults 21 or older
  6. Section 8 (vouchers and public based) Housing
Source: https://childinst.org/broader-definition-public-charge-will-harm-millions/

Benefits that DON’T count towards Public Charge

  1. Children’s Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Cover All Kids, Emergency Medicaid, and Pregnant Medicaid
  2. Medicaid/Children’s Insurance Program for 21 and under and Pregnant folks up to 60 days postpartum
  3. Head Start
  4. School/Summer Meals
  5. Special Education (SpEd)
  6. Medicare (including Part D low-income subsidies)
  7. Social Security Retirement
  8. Unemployment Insurance
  9. Food boxes/Food banks
  10. Anything NOT listed above this section
  11. Workers comp
  12. Community Health Clinics
  13. Low Income Home Energy Assistance

“Totality of Circumstances” Test

The totality of circumstances test is based mainly on the finances of the person applying to come into the United States. Through this, there have also been some substantial changes.

For example:

  • Households whose income is at least 250% above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are weighed in their favor.
  • Households whose income is at 125% above the FPL or below is heavily weighted against them.

Other things that are considered in the totality of circumstances are:

  • Family size
  • Age (18-61, working-age)
  • Not working – weighed against
  • Education
  • Skills and employment (unemployment weighed against)
  • English proficiency
  • Health and medical condition
    • Serious conditions indicate a negative factor
  • Availability of private (subsidized) health insurances
  • Credit scores
  • Past use of public benefits (only those defined).

How do immigration officials know about the ToC factors?

The I-944 Form or “Declaration of Self-Sufficiency” is filled out when folks are applying to be in the United States. If this is a form you personally haven’t had to fill out, then there shouldn’t be anything that can affect you. The form itself is about 18 pages long and takes a long time to fill out, though the federal government estimates it takes about 4.5 hours, it’s estimated to take much longer.

It’s important to remember that this post doesn’t answer the questions for everyone. Individual cases are unique and require unique answers. The positive factors in applying and getting public assistance can counterbalance the perceived negative outcomes of this new rule. The use of Public Benefits alone won’t make you a public charge. The risks to not getting the health care, nutrition and housing assistance you need are there and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

There are many categories of immigrants that are exempt from this public charge rule:

  • Refugees and asylees
  • Survivors of trafficking, violence, and other serious crimes (T- & U- Visas)
  • VAWA Self-Petitioners
  • Certain people paroled into the U.S.
  • Special Immigrant juveniles and more

The public charge rule does not apply to Lawful Permanent Residents who need to renew their LPR Card or LPRs who are applying to naturalize and become U.S. citizens (as long as they don’t leave the U.S. for 180 days before becoming a citizen).

It’s also important to note that this rule is NOT retroactive. Meaning the changes won’t take effect until October 15, 2019, and the newly added benefits will only “count” if they are received on or after October 15, 2019. Applications for Lawful Permanent Residents will be processed using the old public charge rule if filed or postmarked before October 15, 2019.

Are the courts challenging this rule change?

Already, there have been 9 lawsuits filed against the Federal Department of Homeland Security for passing this rule. The legal challenges to the rule are pending and may delay or block its implementation — it’s important to stay informed!!!

Resources to refer to and stay informed:

Updates on Public Charge:

As of:

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Job Posting: Food Security Programs Coordinator

 

Colorful berries are in green berry baskets
In the summer and fall months, fresh produce is an important part of our food security efforts – and will likely be so for the coming years.

We are excited to announce that the Human Services Resource Center (HSRC) at Oregon State University is recruiting for a Food Security Programs Coordinator to increase capacity and support for the food security programs at the HSRC. Questions or inquiries about this posting should only be directed to Tara Sanders, search chair – Tara.sanders@oregonstate.edu

The Human Services Resource Center is currently seeking a full-time (1.0 FTE) Food Security Programs Coordinator at Oregon State University. This position will administer most of the HSRC’s food security programs, which currently include: a robust campus-based food pantry, outreach to students who may qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, select social media accounts , and the HSRC’s cooking workshop series. The Food Security Programs Coordinator will supervise student staff and advise interns and short-term volunteers. The position will be responsible for maintaining both the general safety and food safety of the HSRC Kitchen and HSRC Food Pantry.

This position is part of the HSRC Leadership Team, guiding the strategic direction of the HSRC. The position is charged with building the HSRC’s capacity to provide resources, conduct outreach, and offer programming to students focused on food security. The bigger theme of this role is to cultivate a sense of abundance on campus that further connects and enriches our students’ experience at Oregon State University and their broader communities, particular in conversations about poverty, classism and economic opportunity.

For more details and to apply online, visit  https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/73567

An archived PDF of the position posting can be found at this link: Food Security Programs Coordinator

Deadline for applications is April 04, 2019.

About the HSRC:

Approximately 10 years ago, a group of OSU students saw the need for additional support for the classmates they saw experiencing housing and food insecurities. These students formally proposed a Human Services Resource Center that would be a one-stop location where students could get their basic needs met. Today, a national leader in this work, the HSRC remains committed to centering the voices of students, empowering and engaging them in college retention solutions and helping students meet their academic goals despite the challenges of being under-resourced.  Essential services provided by the HSRC include the HSRC Food Pantry, the Textbook Lending Program, Food Assistance program, and Emergency Housing resources. The HSRC is part of the suite of programs supported by the Office of Student Life and is almost exclusively student-fee funded. Further information about the HSRC can be found on its website: http://studentlife.oregonstate.edu/hsrc

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Here to help

Navigating college as a first-generation college student can feel like making your way through a maze with no map, filled with “learn as you go” lessons, and “crap, I wish I knew this then.” When you combine that with being low-income, it can feel like you’re navigating the same maze blindfolded, on a tightrope, balancing multiple responsibilities. It should not be like this.

I started OSU in 2008 and graduated with my masters in 2014. Recently, I returned to OSU to serve as the first ever Basic Needs Navigator at the HSRC. My role boils down to connecting students to resources that help ensure basic needs are being met. I also support students as they navigate institutional policies and procedures in search of resources.

At the end of the day, I am most concerned with connecting students to resources (this often means $$$), so they may only worry about studying for midterms, not about how they will eat or pay for rent. Since July, I’ve helped students access over $161,500 dollars in resources. Keep reading to learn how I can help alleviate financial stress.

 Above are some common ways I help students access $$

I know firsthand how difficult it is to navigate college on your own. Of seven siblings, I was the first one to attend college. I have one memory in particular about my transition to OSU, no matter how far removed I am from it, I feel what I felt then by just thinking about it. 10 years ago, I was walking across from where my office is now, Champinefu Lodge, eating cheerios out of the box- it was the only thing I had eaten that day. I had no money to buy anything else. Out of the blue, I began to sob as I stuffed handfuls of Cheerios into my mouth. It was 10pm, dark with no lighting, I assumed no one would see me cry. I had never felt so alone in my life. Not knowing where to go or who to turn to for help, I felt like I had no choice but to get through this experience alone. “Who else would be experiencing this in college?”I thought to myself.  

The reality was that I was not alone in my experience. Of the 970 OSU students who applied to the Food Assistance Application in the Fall of 2018, 54% percent were “very-low food secure” as determined by USDA’s Definition, with 18%  of applicants reporting to have gone an entire day in the past 12 months without eating because of financial concerns. That is 172 students, 42% higher than last year when 117 students reported that!

I was not alone in my experience back then, and you are not alone in your experience today, WE SEE YOU! The HSRC is here to help.

What can I help you with?

Almost anything! I’m kind of like a generalist who is pretty savvy about finding things out and navigating resources. I get paid to navigate, it’s literally in my title! If I do not know the answer to your question, I  know the person who does & I will walk you over to meet them (unless it’s raining. I can’t do wet socks). Here are some common things I can often help with:

      • Access to  food & groceries
      • Unforeseen emergency expense causing barriers to enrollment
      • Tuition refund due to an extenuating circumstance
      • Lost scholarships due to unforeseen circumstances
      • Finding help paying for utility bills
      • Signing up for Oregon Health Plan
      • Grant money!- parent lost a job/financial situation does not reflect that of 2016 tax year?
      • Financial Assistance with a medical bill/emergency
      • Pell/financial aid running out a few terms away from graduation!
      • Hard time making ends meet
      • Feeling like you are a bill away from homelessness
      • Place to stay- homeless or housing insecure
      • Financial stress!

Why should you come see me?

“Miguel came in clutch when I needed help with resolving a hold I had on my account.” – HSRC student fall 2018

I helped 120-ish students access over $161,000 since I started in July. You might be missing out on resources that you would otherwise be receiving. Looking back at my college experience, I identified over $10,000 dollars that I missed out on because of bad advising or not being aware of resources. I will do everything I can to try to make sure that you will leave our meeting with knowledge of at least one new to you resource ($$) that you have access to, if not more.

Don’t take my word for it. Here are what your peers have to say:

I will try my hardest to figure things out together

“I took your advice… and I was awarded a scholarship of $1360 to cover my balances. As of right now, I have been able to sign up for a few of my classes…. I am forever grateful”

“Miguel’s best quality is empathy, he connects with the student in a way that he feels the student’s pain and stress, this leads him to want to fight and resolve the issues!…”

You might leave with a lot more than what you came in for

“Miguel has your back. Not only will he help you with what you’re seeing him about, but if he overhears another concern he will help with that too.”

“…Meet with Miguel about financial aid, food stamps and finding other financial help. He helped me so much!!! I really appreciate him”

Wrap around support in a supportive space

“Going into these types of meeting can be difficult because suddenly you are talking about yourself and the difficulty of your situation, which is hard to talk about in itself…Miguel works with you to meet you in a spot that you leave with a plan or next move and is focused on your overall well-being and your individual needs.”

“Miguel is very understanding and knowledgeable. He’ll ask you questions to get a full understanding of your situation without prying for any personal detail. He’s really pleasant and easy to talk to.”

I am here to support you!

You should not feel alone in your experience. College and academics are hard as it is- financial stress is the wrong kind of rigor many student face. Let me work alongside you to make it a little less stressful by connecting you to resources.

If you would like to find a time to meet or have questions, please email me at miguel.arellanosanchez@oregonstate.edu.

 

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Students: Come work at the HSRC!

Please help us spread the word about this opportunity at the Human Services Resource Center: We are looking for three students to help us with various projects through the rest of the academic year – our existing staff is overwhelmed and overstretched and we need more students to help us serve students!

We are looking for the following:

A Food Pantry Assistant

A Textbook Lending Program Assistant

An Event and Program Planning Assistant

 

All positions will be cross-trained heavily to help where needed. For the first term or two, all of these roles can expect to do a lot of the following:

 

  • Working at our front desk, learning how to assist students with basics, answer common questions
  • Basic food pantry operations: how to make a food box, helping with deliveries, helping with food pantry nights/shopping days
  • Cross training and basic collaboration with other HSRC student team members

 

These three positions will also fall into one of the following three individual roles:

 

  1. Food Pantry Assistant: This person will provide additional support to food pantry projects, assisting the Food Pantry Organizer with needed tasks, but generally mostly supporting the HSRC Food Pantry. This would be a really great role for a student interested in food justice, food sovereignty, nutrition, food security, health promotion, retail/merchandising, non-profits, etc.
  2. Textbook Lending Program Assistant: the student who currently oversees the HSRC Textbook Lending Program will be graduating in May and we are hoping that the student hired into this role can work alongside current staff to learn processes and help make a transition to a new student staff as seamless as possible. This role is one of the most technical we have – it involves some database work, pulling some reports, and some skill with Microsoft excel (more than your average student may know). This would be a really great role for a student interested in technology, engineering, business/operations, etc. Any other student, interested in justice or educational access, and who isn’t afraid of learning new, somewhat intimidating computer skills/processes would also be well suited to this role.
  3. Events and Programming Assistant: This person will help plan events and workshops at the HSRC as we built out having more conversations about socioeconomic identity, classism and as we provide more skills workshops for our students (cooking classes, budgeting etc). This would be a good role for any student who wants to plan events and is interested in economic justice, social justice and/or topics related to food security, housing affordability and the challenges of being under-resourced while in college.

 

We hope and anticipate that students hired into these roles, if successful will be asked to return in subsequent years, possibly in other staff roles pursuant to the student’s interests and strengths.

 

The HSRC anticipates paying these students $11.75 to start and if they return to their role next year, it’s likely that they’ll then be earning $12.75.

 

Students must apply though the OSU jobs page for each position they are interested in. First priority for review of applications will be Dec 1 – we are hoping to hire and have these staff in place by start of Winter term.

 

Thanks,
Nicole

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Food Recall: Raw Beef Products

URGENT FOOD RECALL

JBS Tolleson, Inc. Recalls Raw Beef Products Due to Possible Salmonella Newport Contamination

Oct 4, 2018 – JBS Tolleson, Inc., a Tolleson, Ariz. establishment, is recalling approximately 6,937,195 pounds of various raw, non-intact beef products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

For more information and to view a list of the products please visit this site: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-085-2018-release

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 267” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations and institutions nationwide. These products may have been distributed through the Oregon Food Bank Network.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160°F. Other cuts of beef should be cooked to a temperature of 145 °F and allowed to rest for at least 3 minutes. The only way to confirm that ground beef or other cuts of beef are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, http://1.usa.gov/1cDxcDQ.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact the JBS USA Consumer Hotline at (800) 727-2333.

About Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank works to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry. Oregon Food Bank believes that hunger starves the human spirit, that communities thrive when people are nourished, and that everyone deserves healthy and fresh food. Oregon Food Bank helps feed the human spirit of 740,000 people through a food distribution network of 21 regional food banks serving Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Oregon Food Bank also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through public policy, local food systems work, nutrition and garden education, health care screening and innovative programming. Find out how to feed the human spirit at oregonfoodbank.org.

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HSRC PRESENTS: COOKING CLASSES!

 

Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In an ideal world, healthy and delicious food would be all around and easily accessible to everyone. But we all know that it is not a perfect world and there are several barriers keeping us from eating nourishing food. Money and time should not be among the reasons. As college students with very busy schedules and not a whole lot of money, making delicious and healthy meals can be challenging.If you can gain a few more kitchen skills, you can be creative with the ingredients available to you and make some healthy and fun meals.

The cooking classes this Spring at the HSRC are FREE and focused on empowering the participants with basic cooking skills. The recipes that will be used are easy, cheap and quick, because yes, we always have tons of homework and deadlines to beat, but of course we need to eat healthy yummy food too!

Rice Every Which Way- April 17th, 5-7pm.

Versatile ingredients save meals time and money! Rice is definitely one of them. Boiled rice on its own is not very difficult to make, but it can be pretty bland and definitely get old. In this class we will be playing around with herbs, spices and vegetables (more vegetables=more flavor) to make rice healthy, tasty and fun. The other amazing thing about rice is that you can make a lot of it over the weekend and make different meals from it, all week long to save a lot of time. Rice is one of those staples that you can have for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ramen Revamped-May 3rd, 5-7pm. 

We have all lived off one too many Ramen bowls at one point in our lives. They are quick and easy, and don’t require any cooking skill but most of all they are cheap! while we have certainly come to accept Ramen as part of ‘the college experience,’ we can have fun making it  healthier, tasty and more nourishing.

 

Knead Bread?  May 15th, 5-7pm.

When you consider the simple ingredients that form the foundation of all breads—flour, yeast, salt and water—it’s truly remarkable how many varied products can be made from it. Bread baking can often seem very intimidating and complicated. This class will be focused on stove top breads, which can be an easier and cheaper alternative.We want to empower you to feed yourself, and take your baking skills to the next level!

 

 

Cheap and Gourmet- May 31st, 5-7pm.

Good and cheap! Eating healthy and tasty food while on a budget can be a real hustle. This class is designed to explore ways you can create an amazing meal with simple affordable ingredients. Improvisation is the soul of great cooking! Our hope is after this class you will be able to tailor things to your taste and preference all while on a budget!

Registration is recommended not required. Click here to sign up!  The classes will be held at Avery Lodge.  

We are looking forward to cooking with you!

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Food Recall: Nutritional Yeast

URGENT FOOD RECALL

Oregon Food Bank voluntarily recalls nutritional yeast

March 16, 2018 – Oregon Food Bank is voluntarily recalling 1,219 pounds of nutritional yeast, which was donated to the food bank. No illness has been reported but it was donated at the same time as two other recalled products – chia and pumpkin seeds.

The nutritional yeast was distributed in Oregon and Clark County, Washington through the Oregon Food Bank Network of regional food banks and participating food pantries. The product was distributed in one pound plastic poly film bags with a twist-type closure or a re-sealable pouch. All nutritional yeast was distributed between November 1, 2017 and March 16, 2018. See attached product label for ease of identification.

Individuals should dispose of the product immediately. Any questions should be directed to Oregon Food Bank’s Facilities and Regulatory Compliance Manager Ryan Wist at 503-419-4160.

 

About Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank works to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry. Oregon Food Bank believes that hunger starves the human spirit, that communities thrive when people are nourished, and that everyone deserves healthy and fresh food. Oregon Food Bank helps feed the human spirit of 740,000 people through a food distribution network of 21 regional food banks serving Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Oregon Food Bank also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through public policy, local food systems work, nutrition and garden education, health care screening and innovative programming. Find out how to feed the human spirit at oregonfoodbank.org.

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Food Recall: Pumpkin Seeds

URGENT FOOD RECALL

Oregon Food Bank voluntarily recalls pumpkin seeds

March 16, 2018 – As a result of the ongoing recall of donated chia seeds that began on March 12, 2018, Oregon Food Bank has initiated a voluntary recall of 63,825 pounds of pumpkin seeds received on the same donation. These donated pumpkin seeds have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria species. While no illnesses have been reported we are recalling this product out of an abundance of caution.

The pumpkin seeds were distributed in Oregon and Clark County, Washington through the Oregon Food Bank Network of regional food banks and participating food pantries. The product was distributed in one pound plastic poly film bags with a twist-type closure or a re-sealable pouch or a KALE JOY plastic bag. All pumpkin seeds were distributed between November 1, 2017 and March 16, 2018. See attached images for ease of identification.

Listeria species can include Listeria monocytogenes an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Anyone who has consumed these pumpkin seeds and is experiencing symptoms of food borne illness should consult with their primary physician or county health department.

Individuals should dispose of the product immediately. Any questions should be directed to Oregon Food Bank’s Facilities and Regulatory Compliance Manager Ryan Wist at 503-419-4160.

About Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank works to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry. Oregon Food Bank believes that hunger starves the human spirit, that communities thrive when people are nourished, and that everyone deserves healthy and fresh food. Oregon Food Bank helps feed the human spirit of 740,000 people through a food distribution network of 21 regional food banks serving Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Oregon Food Bank also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through public policy, local food systems work, nutrition and garden education, health care screening and innovative programming. Find out how to feed the human spirit atoregonfoodbank.org.

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Food Recall: Chia Seeds

URGENT FOOD RECALL

Oregon Food Bank issues alert on foreign material in chia seeds

PORTLAND, Ore. – March 12, 2018 – Oregon Food Bank of Portland, Oregon has initiated a Class II recall of 22,201 pounds of chia seeds, which were donated to the food bank. The product may be contaminated with rodent droppings. While no known illnesses have been associated with this product, use or consumption may present a health hazard to consumers.

The chia seeds were distributed in Oregon and Clark County, Washington through the Oregon Food Bank Network of regional food banks and participating food pantries. The product was distributed in one pound plastic poly film bags with a twist-type closure or a re-sealable pouch. All chia seeds distributed in the described packaging between November 1, 2017 and March 9, 2018 are included. See images of product labels for ease of identification.

bagged chia seeds bagged chia seeds

Consumers should dispose of the product immediately and can get additional information by contacting the food pantry where they received the product or from Oregon Food Bank’s Facilities and Regulatory Compliance Manager Ryan Wist at 403-419-4160. Anyone who has consumed these chia seeds and is experiencing symptoms of food borne illness should consult with their primary physician or county health department.

The issue was discovered through investigation of a customer complaint regarding foreign material. Product which was still in inventory at Oregon Food Bank was determined to contain rodent droppings. Subsequent investigation indicates the chia seeds were observed to have evidence of rodent activity by the donor, Live Local Organic of Milwaukie, Oregon. The recall was initiated after it was determined all chia seeds received in this donation might be at risk.

About Oregon Food Bank

Oregon Food Bank works to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry. Oregon Food Bank believes that hunger starves the human spirit, that communities thrive when people are nourished, and that everyone deserves healthy and fresh food. Oregon Food Bank helps feed the human spirit of 740,000 people through a food distribution network of 21 regional food banks serving Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Oregon Food Bank also leads statewide efforts to increase resources for hungry families and to eliminate the root causes of hunger through public policy, local food systems work, nutrition and garden education, health care screening and innovative programming. Find out how to feed the human spirit at oregonfoodbank.org.