Arnerich Massena’s I AM Learning Partnership organized a volunteer event, bringing together students from the program and employees of the firm to sort and box food donations for the Oregon Food Bank. On May 3, the group spent the morning working hard (and having some fun) on their project for the day, sorting apples. And what a lucky day it was to be there; Oregon Senator Ron Wyden made a surprise appearance! It being his birthday, the volunteers regaled him with song, and he expressed his gratitude for their service in helping to address hunger.

The group sorted almost 17,000 pounds of apples for more than 14,000 meals, adding up to 140 meals per volunteer.

The I AM Learning Partnership has focused for several years on helping students to learn about good nutrition and participate in service learning projects that deal with the issue of hunger in their local area. In previous years, the program has hosted “Food Fight,” a community food court, and a nutrition and cooking summer camp. This year, the I AM Learning Partnership will be partnering with Imperfect Produce to host “Soup for the Soul” on May 18 at Irvington Elementary School, a school/community carnival to benefit the Oregon Food Bank. With crafts, raffles, games, and – of course – soup, the carnival will raise money to help the Oregon Food Bank in its mission.

We’re proud to serve the Oregon Food Bank, and grateful to the organization for the work it is doing to stop hunger in our community. To learn more about the Oregon Food Bank (or schedule a volunteer session!), visit https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/