Ron visits Oregon hunger-fighting programs with good news on charitable deductions

by Communications Office Ron visits Oregon hunger-fighting programs with good news on charitable deductions

Ron visited food banks and Meals on Wheels programs over the holidays in Oregon to bring home the good news about his successful fight to include expanded and permanent charitable deductions in tax legislation passed by Congress at the end of 2015.


Ron’s message at his visits in Medford, Roseburg and Eugene? “We cannot afford games when it comes to hunger.”


“This is a tremendous day for Oregon food banks and food banks across the country because instead of going through this roller coaster, now that break is going to be expanded and made permanent,” he said after delivering food at ACCESS Food Bank in Medford and helping volunteers pack food boxes.


“All your wonderful programs need some predictability and certainty,” he said. “This is particularly important because we want to encourage people to donate all year-round.”


In the weekend before Christmas, Ron also helped deliver meals to older Oregonians with the Meals on Wheels program in Eugene and assisted volunteers in Roseburg preparing food at United Community Action Network (UCAN) for delivery.


While in Roseburg, Ron had the chance to sit down as well with officials from Umpqua Community College, the city of Roseburg and Douglas County to praise their resiliency after the October shooting at the college.


The food donation provision included in the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act permanently extends the enhanced deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory for non-corporate business taxpayers.


The provision also increases the limitation on deductible contributions of food inventory and modifies the deduction to provide special rules for valuing food inventory.

The PATH Act also contains many other victories for middle-class Americans, small business and the economy in Oregon and nationwide.


Among those victories are making permanent

  • Earned income tax credits to help working families get ahead;

  • Child tax credits for parents trying to raise a family; and

  • A significant piece of Ron’s PARTNERSHIPS Act -- helping students and families pay for college. To read more about Wyden’s PARTNERSHIPS Act on college affordability, click here.