A queue extends several hundred deep outside a similarly unremarkable building across the street from a large Oregon Lottery sign at a nondescript crossroads in the St. Johns district of North Portland.
While they wait, a few people, ages 20 to 80, sit on their walkers. Others converse, some lively, others not, to kill time. Wearing green and yellow from head to toe, one person takes advantage of the chance to relax on the pavement in the early October sun, while another displays his loyalty to the University of Oregon.
Despite their extreme diversity, they are all connected by the charity organization housed in the building: St. John’s Food Share, a recipient of The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 2024 Season of Sharing fundraising campaign.
An estimated 1,000 people a month leave St. John’s Food Share with boxes or bags full of produce, kitchen essentials, baked goods, and frozen dinners. The organization serves food to anybody who requests it and never asks for proof of hardship or income.
> Contribute to the Season of Sharing general fund or St. John’s Food Share. The code Season2024 can also be texted to 44-321.
No containers are pre-packaged. Those that wait patiently for their time get to pick out all of the food they bring with them.
According to board president Tiffany Slottke, “We help people pick and choose how to spend their money by providing food at no cost.” One person’s hardships can be alleviated by our resources. Additionally, we are using unsold merchandise.
The founding of St. John’s Food Share dates back to 1988, when a group in North Portland called the Golden Harvesters was established.
But compared to the present food distribution, it was a whole different beast. All of its customers were elderly Portlanders, and the cost of the food boxes was $30 per month.
With time, it developed into a charity that allows customers to select the food they want, all of which is given (we don’t pay for any food, Slottke stated), and is run exclusively by volunteers, many of whom were once customers.
According to longtime volunteer Jay Beaudoin, the food is donated by Goodwill, Amazon, Target, and local grocery stores.
The Oregon Food Bank has also contributed, but according to Slottke, staples—such as rice, pasta, and canned goods—are becoming more difficult to find, and eventually the nonprofit may need to cover part of the costs.
Furthermore, not everything is free, even if the food is now free and all of the staff members are volunteers.
The electricity in particular.
According to Slottke, electricity costs the food pantry between $30,000 and $40,000 annually, with a large portion of that amount going toward powering the enormous food freezers and refrigeration equipment.
According to Slottke, we’re having a hard time writing grants, yet our numbers have increased as other pantries have closed.
Nevertheless, Slottke remains steadfast in his faith in the food share’s purpose and its dedicated team of volunteers.
“Our team is amazing,” she stated. We’re enjoying ourselves.
Before retiring, Beaudoin ran a men’s clothes and record store. He admits that volunteering isn’t always simple. He said, “It’s a lot of work.” It’s well-planned mayhem.
However, he also describes himself as a people person, which has kept the veteran going for almost ten years.
Slottke, a resident of Beaudoin and a member of the food bank’s 12-member board of directors, stated: “He can’t stay away.”
Conversely, Lauren Keaveny has been volunteering for a few weeks.
At first, though, she was also unable to avoid it.
She added, glancing at freezers full of food and meat and shelves stocked with fruit, peanut butter, and pasta sauce, “I always saw the lines here and wondered what was going on.” She also intends to stay for a while now that she is aware of what occurs within.
There were 83 volunteers in September, and each one has a unique history and set of skills to offer the organization.
Beaudoin drives a lot and loads and unloads a lot.
Keaveny responds to inquiries from customers on the meal options. Additionally, she resolved a frustrating Excel spreadsheet issue for Slottke.
They all have a can-do attitude, a ready grin, and a dedication to what makes the St. Johns Food have so unique.
One customer was heading out, his arms a little strained from carrying two bags full of food, when he turned and grinned broadly and wished everyone who had volunteered a pleasant day.
On his way out into the sunshine, he picked up a little bunch of flowers that Trader Joe’s had provided before leaving.
OregonLive/The Oregonian
What your donations can do
$25: Cover the cost of a month’s worth of phone support to arrange food donation pickups.
$40: Cover the cost of electricity to power the food bank’s walk-in freezer, lights, and refrigerator.
$100: Purchase a gas tank for the distribution truck used by the food bank.
Season of Sharing 2024
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