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Food SHARE Linn
Welcome to Food Share Linn
Food Share Linn is a partnership of Linn County stakeholders determined to reduce food insecurity and waste within our community. This is accomplished by redirecting safe, overproduced food away from the landfill or compost and into the hands of people who need it.
Food Waste and Recovery
Why Do It
In Linn County, over 695 tons of food is wasted per year. At the same time, there are 24,000 people within the Linn County community who are food insecure. Food insecurity is defined by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion as, “the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources.”
How it's Done
Food Share Linn brings community donor and recipient organizations together by leveraging technology using the ChowBank app. The app allows the donor to send a notification to recipients that a food donation is available. Recipients can then use the app to “accept” the donation. Donation delivery is decided by the donor and recipient.
What is a food donor organization?
A food donor organization could be a restaurant, grocery store, commissary kitchen, caterer, convenience store, or other establishment licensed to sell food.
What is a social service recipient organization?
A social service recipient organization is a group that collects and distributes food to people in the community. These organizations could include food pantries, meal sites, charitable organizations, or churches.
Liability Protection When Donating Food
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act contains the following:
- Provides protection to good faith donors of food from liability should the product later cause harm to its recipient.
- It does not protect gross negligence where intentional harm to the health of others occurs as a result of food donation.
What is ChowBank?
ChowBank is a mobile app used to connect food donor organizations to social service recipient organizations in Linn County. Chowbank is designed to redirect safe, overproduced food away from the landfill, and into the hands of those who need it in our community. You may download the app through Google Play or the Apple Store.
You must register both your organization and yourself. Organizations will be approved by Linn County Public Health. Individuals must be associated with an approved organization to make donations. To learn more visit:
ChowBank Home Page and ChowBank Privacy Policy
Who can donate through ChowBank?
In order to ensure safe wholesome foods the recommendations for donor establishments follow:
- Licensed food establishments that include restaurants, grocers, home bakeries, processors, and licensed church/faith kitchens.
- Whole uncut produce. Egg and honey producers. Meat from a farmer processed at a licensed processor.
- Restaurant suppliers and food ingredient suppliers.
To ensure the safety of food and to qualify for the indemnity provided by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act. the following donations are not recommended.
- Catering companies due to the question of logistics, maintaining food within food safety time/temperature parameters, and ownership transfer.
- Church and faith community pot lucks and potentially hazardous food prepared in the members’ homes or unlicensed church kitchen.
- Individuals.
Donations may be received through the ChowBank app. You must be affiliated with a qualified social service recipient organization is a group that collects and distributes food to people in the community. These organizations could include food pantries, meal sites, charitable organizations, or churches. Individuals may not receive donations directly. Rather individuals are encouraged to seek food resources through these partner organizations.
To get started, log in through your browser (https://app.chowbank.io/) or through the Chowbank app.
- You must register both your organization and yourself.
- Individuals must be associated with an non-profit organization to receive donations.