BMCC forums on livability dive into food insecurities
By Terry Murry on Monday, November 17th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – A series of forums embracing livability issues continues at Blue Mountain Community College with a look at food insecurities. It will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) in the BMCC Library in Pioneer Hall on the Pendleton campus. The public is invited to attend the forum at 5:30 p.m.
Panelists will be Karin Power, Gary Engum, Stephanie Heaton and Major Toni Halsted. Power is a retired special education teacher and longtime community volunteer active in Altrusa’s Feed the Child program.
Engum, who previously taught at BMCC, is also a longtime volunteer for St. Mary’s Outreach. He is a civil engineer who spent his career in water quality and sanitation with the Oregon Health Authority.
Heaton is program director at CAPECO. She oversees the region’s food bank, the Agency on Aging, and the Oregon Money Management program. Her work focuses on food access and financial stability.
Halsted and her husband Major DeWayne Halsted lead the Salvation Army in Pendleton. It provides a daily meal service, a monthly food pantry, and essential community support throughout Umatilla County.
The panel will discuss local and regional efforts to address hunger, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that every community member has access to nutritious food.
