Nonprofit iUrban Teen targets food insecurity in Vancouver with Food for Good program

iUrban Teen has begun an eight-month endeavor that aims to alleviate food insecurity in Vancouver.

The program, Food for Good, began in November and will run until June, with the goal of serving 180 to 200 families. The program was conceived in 2022, according to Erin Hamilton, managing director.

iUrban Teen is a nonprofit organization that operates in several communities across the United States, including Portland and Southwest Washington. The nonprofit launched in the area in 2011 on the Washington State University Vancouver campus. The nonprofit provides science, technology, engineering and manufacturing opportunities for youth through various programs; the participants learn skills needed to succeed in the digital age.

The food boxes are delivered twice a month, and volunteers help distribute them to families. Boxes include fresh fruits, vegetables, pantry items and staples, such as beans and rice.

Volunteers to distribute food boxes are welcomed, Hamilton said.

“There is a lot of food insecurity and families in need in Southwest Washington and just providing support for those community members is critical,” Hamilton said.

Close to 10 percent of Clark County’s residents (about 47,000 people) are facing food insecurity, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Food insecurity is defined as a family who has uncertain access to food.

FMS Global Strategies — a partner of iUrban Teen — undertook the initiative with a grant from the Department of Agriculture. This year, the food box initiative is made possible by a collaboration with FMS Global Strategies, Sakura 39ers Youth Organization, Fourth Plain Forward and The Lord’s Gym.

“Food (for) Good embodies our joint pledge to address the crucial issue of food scarcity in our neighborhoods,” iUrban Teen founder Deena Pierott said in a news release.