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Released 9 April 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Salvation Army - Portland Metro
8495 SE Monterey Ave.
Happy Valley, OR 97086
Major Don Gilger
Portland Metro Coordinator
719.201.3215
Teresa Engel
Communications & Marketing Associate
503.794.3283
Shopping Style Food Pantry Opens in N. Portland Thanks to Oregon Community Foundation Grant
(Portland, OR) April 9, 2012 - Families in need can now go grocery shopping at The Salvation Army! Thanks to a generous grant from the LIFE Center Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation, The Salvation Army Moore Street Community & Worship Center now offers a Shopping Style Food Pantry. What this means is that clients who normally come in for a food box are actually shopping and selecting what foods they most need in their household. This $9,800 grant award allowed the food bank to expand by adding two refrigerators, four restaurant-style carts, twelve shopping baskets, six shelf racks, and two room dividers.
"For years, we have wanted to create a more welcoming environment for our clients," says Jackie Campbell, Social Services Director at The Salvation Army Moore Street Community & Worship Center. "The Oregon Community Foundation has blessed us with this opportunity, giving us what we need to make these changes possible. Just in the past week or so, we have already seen great success as volunteers connect with clients and clients feel empowered as they get to make their own choices as to what food items are the most important to them."
The shopping process consists of meeting with the Social Services Director to determine their eligibility and size of family. This determines the number of carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, dairy, and fresh produce items that they will be able to pick out. Then they are greeted by volunteers who help the clients through the food bank by pushing the cart, loading the boxes, and crossing off their grocery list, provided to them by the Social Services Director.
The Salvation Army Moore Street Community & Worship Center, located at 5325 N Williams Ave in Portland, has been meeting social service needs in North Portland since 1934. Last year, 12,333 people received emergency food assistance from the Moore Street Food Box Program! Over the years, this program has seen an increase in the amount of food boxes provided as well as the number of first time clients in need of food assistance.
By improving the quality and accessibility of food support, this new food bank will help better the nutritional lives of clients as well as encourage a more diverse community response through fresh food donations and volunteers. It will also increase client dignity and self-empowerment and lead to more personal fact-to-face interactions between clients, staff, and volunteers.
For right now, due to volunteer requirements, the shopping style food pantry is only open Wednesdays from 10am-noon and 1:00pm-4:30pm; however, clients can receive food boxes in the food bank on Mondays and Fridays as well.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. The Salvation Army works in 124 countries worldwide.
For more information, or to make a donation, visit us online at www.salvationarmyportland.org. People wishing to make monetary donations can do so by calling 503.238.GIVE (4483), or by mail, The Salvation Army, 8495 SE Monterey Avenue, Happy Valley, OR 97086-7844.
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