ACCESS food bank manager Chris Bosse moves pallets of nonperishable food donated by Sherm's Markets at the ACCESS warehouse in Medford Friday. The more than 23,000 pounds is expected to go quickly as the need for food assistance grows during the holidays.

The forklifts were rolling at the ACCESS warehouse in Medford Friday as the community action agency for Jackson County collected tens of thousands of pounds of canned food, pasta and more from Sherm’s Markets just in time for the holiday season.

As part of an ongoing partnership between the local grocery store owner and ACCESS that has lasted for nearly three decades, the food nonprofit received its yearly food donation of approximately 23,000 pounds of goods via semitrailer.

“It’s a great partnership, but one of the things I love about it most is we’re all in this together,” said Marcee Champion, food programs director for ACCESS since 2019. “Sherm’s and the Olsrud family are just so community minded. … It’s so great to have a partner who is so entrenched in the community.”

“It definitely helps us to stock our shelves a little bit more robustly,” Champion added.

Sherm’s Markets operates Food 4 Less in Medford and Thunderbird markets located in Medford, Klamath Falls and Roseburg.

The donation includes a wide range of goods that will be distributed to food banks across the region for the holiday months and beyond.

“It’s a really good mix of things that a family might need and want,” Champion said. “I just saw some macaroni and cheese go by, we saw some corn come off and some cereal, so it’s some of those staples and fun things.”

ACCESS distributes more than 4.5 million pounds of food each year via a network of 30-plus food pantries across Jackson County and has been around since 1976.

To learn more about the organization, apply to receive food assistance or other needs, volunteer or donate, visit accesshelps.org.