Shauna Mulligan, program coordinator for OSU Extension Family and Community Health and SNAP‑Ed in Crook County, told the Crook County Board of Commissioners at a July work session that her program works with schools, food pantries, housing authorities and other local partners to reduce food insecurity and support healthier families.

Mulligan said the program uses a community‑centered approach and serves as a connector among local organizations. “What sets this program apart is the community centered approach. I work hand in hand with our schools, food pantries, housing authorities, and other local partners, such as our health department, the library, to deliver practical culturally relevant resources where they're needed most in Crook County,” she said.

The program partners Mulligan named include High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, Mosaic Medical, the Crook County Library, Pioneer High School, St. Vincent de Paul and local Master Gardeners. Mulligan described a recurring collaborative project, Crook County Green Bags, which she said exceeded five tons of food collected in May; that food is delivered to local food banks, including St. Vincent de Paul.

Mulligan said she is the only Family and Community Health SNAP‑Ed coordinator serving Crook County and that much of the work is coalition‑driven. She listed ongoing activities such as agriculture‑in‑the‑classroom visits, community garden events with 30-plus partners, walking groups in partnership with Crook County on the Move, and a mobile pantry serving children on Saturdays.

The presentation described several near‑term projects in planning: a high‑school‑run youth refereeing club to build officiating skills and employment pathways through organizations such as OSAA and Little League, and an employer/worker resource fair to assist people laid off at the local mill with resume help and job‑readiness services. Mulligan said she is coordinating with local partners and the chamber and that the resource fair is in formative stages.

A commissioner praised the breadth of local collaboration and noted the growth in participation at food security meetings from about four people in earlier years to roughly 30 now, including Oregon Department of Human Services and churches supporting local pantries.

Mulligan distributed a calendar of local food resources that she said lists food availability across the month and encouraged commissioners to refer residents to the extension materials. She also described small, community exchanges — for example, coordinating donated fruit so it did not go to waste — as evidence of the coalition’s ongoing local impact.

The presentation concluded with commissioners thanking Mulligan for coordinating the county’s community food efforts and for convening partners to address both immediate needs and longer‑term workforce supports for residents affected by mill layoffs.