Hermiston faith-based advisory committee focuses on food security, school partnerships and improved outreach

Daniel Nahan, chair of the Faith-Based Advisory Committee, told the council the committee is meeting monthly this year and has prioritized building a communications database, coordinating food-security efforts and strengthening partnerships with public schools.

"One of our top priorities this year is to work on a better means of a database and communication and engagement with the faith community," Nahan said. He described recent efforts to convene a quarterly gathering of congregations and organizations to coordinate evening meal programs and other services and said the group is working toward at least monthly availability of evening meals for people experiencing food insecurity.

Nahan also described renewed school partnerships in which congregations provide teacher appreciation lunches, hygiene items and cold-weather clothing. The committee said it expanded invitations to multiple churches per school this year, and that baccalaureate events and "I Love My City" volunteer activities showed increased collaboration among congregations.

Council members asked about diversity of representation; Nahan said he was not aware of applications to the committee from non-Christian faiths in recent years but noted the committee had added a representative connected to a Hispanic church this year. The committee said it also coordinates clergy breakfasts and youth-leader gatherings as regular forums for outreach and informal clergy discussions.

Why it matters: The committee organizes volunteers and congregations around social services and school-support programs; committee leaders are trying to rebuild communication and engagement structures diminished after the COVID-19 pandemic.