South Umpqua FFA partners with Food for All to support local families
Written by: Justin Hulse, South Umpqua School District Agricultural Science teacher & FFA advisor
The South Umpqua FFA Chapter is proud to partner with the Food for All program to support students and families in our community during the holiday season. Through student leadership, service learning and collaboration, this project highlights the power of agricultural education to meet real community needs.
Food For All is a student-led food distribution program founded in 1997 by Kirk “Hutch” Hutchinson, director of Food for All, alongside Dan Dugan, now superintendent of the Perrydale School District. What began as a friendly competition between two agricultural advisors has grown into one of Oregon’s most impactful food distribution initiatives.
“This project has a positive impact on both our school and our community, and it truly represents what our FFA chapter stands for,” said Madeline Gosselin, South Umpqua FFA Chapter president. “It shows how South Umpqua FFA is committed to service, leadership, and supporting those around us.”
This year marks the first time South Umpqua High School and the South Umpqua FFA Chapter have participated in the Food for All program. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful initiative and sincerely appreciate Food for All and the Perrydale FFA Chapter for including our school and community. Taking place just before winter break, a time when many families experience increased need, this endeavor provide comfort, nourishment and reassurance to those who need it most.
On December 12th, South Umpqua High School received a large donation of fresh produce from the Perrydale FFA Chapter. The donation, delivered by Kirk Fairchild, an agricultural teacher at Perrydale and a former Food for All student, included approximately 2,000 pounds of produce such as apples, pears, potatoes, onions and carrots. The primary goal of this project is to support South Umpqua student families with food distribution scheduled prior to the winter break.
South Umpqua High School Principal, Carl Simpson emphasized the impact of the partnership. “This is an incredible opportunity for our students to serve and for families to receive much-needed support,” he said. “We are grateful to Perrydale FFA for reaching out and allowing us to model our program after theirs, which distributes approximately 350,000 pounds of food each December.”
South Umpqua FFA students partnered with students from the Life Connections (DLC) program to unpack, sort and individually bag the produce for distribution. This inclusive collaboration provided meaningful, hands-on learning experiences while emphasizing teamwork, communication, responsibility and service.
“Inclusion opportunities like this are incredibly valuable,” said Lori Risner, Life Connections Teacher and Food Science and Culinary Arts co-teacher. “They provide authentic, hands-on experiences that help students collaborate and recognize one another’s strengths.”
Students from multiple programs volunteered their time to ensure families in need would receive fresh, nutritious food. For many FFA members, the project was also a meaningful way to give back to a community that continually supports their work.
“This project is a meaningful way for our FFA chapter to give back to the community that continually supports our program,” said Grace Shadbolt, South Umpqua FFA Chapter treasurer. “When we are bagging the produce, we’re not just packaging food—we’re packaging hope for families in our community.”
For advisors, the project served as a powerful example of learning through service. “This project provides a powerful opportunity for students to learn responsibility, compassion and the importance of giving back,” said Kyle Huntley, Agricultural Mechanics teacher and FFA advisor. “By working together to support local families, students see firsthand what it takes to serve their community and build strong, lasting relationships.”
The FFA motto—Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve—is fully brought to life through this Food for All partnership. Our FFA and Life Connections students gained valuable skills in teamwork, responsibility and leadership while truly living to serve those around them. I am incredibly proud of our students and grateful for this meaningful learning opportunity.
The South Umpqua FFA Chapter extends sincere thanks to the organizations and individuals whose generosity made this project possible, including Caruso Produce, Inc.; Mt. Adams Fruit; United Salad Co.; Kirk Hutchinson, Founder and Director of Food for All; the Perrydale FFA Chapter; Grocery Outlet of Myrtle Creek; and Ray’s Food Place of Myrtle Creek. This commitment to supporting students, agriculture and families experiencing food insecurity plays a vital role in the success of the Food for All program. Because of this support, fresh, nutritious produce is reaching families in need while providing meaningful leadership and service-learning opportunities for students.
