LOCAL FOOD PANTRY TO EXPAND AND SERVE MORE IN THE WOODSTOCK NEIGHBORHOOD OF SOUTHEAST PORTLAND

GRANT FROM LOWE'S TO KICK START NEW PROJECT

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Woodstock Pantry in Southeast Portland will replace its temporary facility with a new, permanent location and expand its capacity thanks to grant funding from Lowe's, Oregon Food Bank, SE Uplift, the Episcopal Bishop of Oregon Foundation, and other local community organizations. Lowe's is sponsoring a Red Vest Day on September 26, 2023 where their employees will complete a landscaping project to start the transformation of the pantry's space so it is suitable for pantry operations and can serve more people in need. The pantry is also seeking volunteers and $100,000 in charitable donations to improve its new location, set to open in January 2024.

With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the Woodstock community recognized the need for a food pantry in the Southeast Portland neighborhood. The community took collective action to create the Woodstock Pantry. "We were honored to partner with our community to help meet the ever-growing needs of our neighbors. It was the right time and the right thing to do," shared Andria Skornik, priest at All Saints Episcopal Church. 

All Saints Episcopal Church hosted the new pantry in 2020. Community organizations and neighbors gave their resources and time to serve neighbors. Using space donated by the church, the community installed a temporary shipping container to store food and supplies. Now, Woodstock Pantry has provided groceries to more than 20,000 people since it opened in 2020 and has become an essential part of meeting the community's growing needs. In 2022, All Saints Episcopal Church committed to transforming the Woodstock Pantry into a permanent, sustainable food source for our area. The transformation project has two goals: 

1) Serve food to our neighbors with a permanent structure to store food, equipment, and supplies.
2) Nurture our community as a place where people care for each other and demonstrate that care through collaboration and collective action to fight food insecurity.

The Woodstock Neighborhood Association nominated the Woodstock Pantry for the Lowe's Hometowns impact program. Recently, Lowe's announced that the Woodstock Pantry was awarded a grant as one of the 100 community projects in 2023 that make up Lowe's Hometowns. Launched in 2022, Lowe's Hometowns is the company's largest-ever impact program, with a five-year, $100 million commitment from Lowe's to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide. The grant includes volunteer time from Lowe's will sponsor a Red Vest Day of employee volunteering on September 26.

The Woodstock Pantry has also been awarded grants and donations from the Episcopal Bishop of Oregon Foundation, Oregon Food Bank, SE Uplift, and parishioners and neighbors. The project still needs $100,000 to cover the finances required for the remodel opening in January 2024. The volunteers from Lowes and the neighborhood will kick-start this project. 

This year's Lowe's Hometowns projects were selected from 93 communities across 41 states and Washington, D.C., and will address needs specific to each community, from housing and community centers to outdoor spaces and facilities for first responders and veterans. Each project will receive a grant from Lowe's to make physical improvements that help local organizations continue to make a meaningful impact in their communities. Lowe's Red Vest associates are passionate about giving back to their communities and supporting every Lowe's Hometowns project. They are a core part of Lowe's commitment to communities. 

Now in the initiative's second year, Lowe's Hometowns invites nonprofits and community members to share stories of needed projects. Woodstock Pantry is partnering with local Lowe's associates, construction pros, and impact partner Points of Light to complete this project.

WHAT: Volunteers from Lowe's and the Southeast Portland community are giving their time to support the Woodstock Pantry's transformation to a permanent facility.  

WHEN: September 26, 2023  -  11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: 4033 Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR 97202 

FUNDRAISING: Anyone looking to help the Woodstock Pantry can go their Go Fund Me page – https://www.gofundme.com/f/woodstock-pantry-build-project

SOURCE All Saints Episcopal Church