Throughout February, Oregon Tech employees, students, and supporters donated just shy of $4,000 and added an estimated 400 pounds of food to the 2022 Governor's State Employees Food Drive, which provides food assistance to Oregon individuals and families in need. That equates to over 12,000 meals for campus communities in Klamath Falls and Wilsonville.
The majority of financial donations were contributed by Oregon Tech faculty and staff using paycheck commitments. Students and other supporters also contributed during events such as Blackout for Hunger, an annual basketball game that collects non-perishable food items for Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank.
Co-chairs of the Oregon Tech Food Drive, Ken and Gretchen Fincher are excited about the success and the awareness raised by the event. “We have a passion for helping those with food insecurity. It was an honor for us to co-chair Oregon Tech’s effort in the Governor’s State Employees Food Drive,” said Dr. Ken Fincher. “We are grateful so many Oregon Tech employees provided their support and made this drive a success.”
Dr. Fincher is vice president of University Advancement at Oregon Tech and executive director of the Foundation. He and his wife, Gretchen, have lived in Klamath Falls since 2019 and have since moved their extended family to town.
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