Help Feed Neighbors-Buy a Raffle Ticket Today!

The Nob Hill Business Association has organized an amazing local fundraiser to support our Nutrition Support services i.e. Food Pantry, Food for Kids Backpack service, and Expanded Nutrition Support. Buy a raffle ticket from April 1 through May 31st to support our neighbors in need and win a great prize! FAQ Flier, click here.

You can buy tickets at the following locations:

• Blush Beauty Bar (map)


• Moonstruck Chocolates on NW 23rd Ave. (map)


• Forest Park Federal Credit Union (map)


• Northwest Portland Ministries (map)


• Child's Play (map)

You can also call NWPM at 503-221-1224

Food for kids Backpacks: Testimonial

Working mom, Tammy, is grateful for nutrition from NWPM's Food for Kids Backpack Program. She and her daughter agreed to share how the program benefits their family.

For more information, click here. To donate by check, click here, or call (503) 221-1224 ext. 103. To see our current opportunities here!

Food, Wine and Art to Benefit Kids

What: A 3 course dinner with wine pairings, music and a featured artist benefiting the Food for Kids Backpack Program, sponsored by Caplan Art Designs and the Daily Café in the Pearl.
The dinner is $70 and $10 of that goes to the Food for Kids Backpack Program, as well as 15% of the featured artists work sold for the month! People attending the event will have the opportunity to donate directly to the program as well.
When: Wednesday April 1st, from 6:30-8:45 PM.
Where: Daily Café, 902 NW 13th Ave., Portland, OR 97210
Reservations: (503) 706-8627. Please help make this fundraiser a big success. Share this notice with your friends and neighbors by clicking the little white envelope at the bottom of this post. See you April 1st! THANK YOU!

Curves in Montgomery Park is donating food to us!

Curves of Montgomery park is donating their food to Northwest Portland Ministries during their food drive and is offering women in our community the opportunity to join for free with the donation of a bag of groceries!
Curves - the world’s leader in women’s fitness - offers complete fitness and nutrition solutions. Their workouts exercise every major muscle group, burning up to 500 calories via strength training, cardio and stretching.
In addition to Curves' commitment to help women the world over become strong and healthy, they also encourage women to support local charities, learn about health issues and forge lasting friendships as members of the global Curves community.
This is no-service fee offer is for new members who sign up for a 12 month program and is valid now through March 28th. Curves will also extend the offer to women who donate food directly to NWPM when they bring a note from NWPM as proof.

The Need to Feed

CNN.com reports, the sagging economy is taking a bite out of federal school-meal subsidies as more students take advantage of free or low-price breakfasts and lunches. A non-profit group, the School Nutrition Association, says 425,000 more kids are participating in the national lunch and breakfast programs this year than last year. Click photo, left, or here to read more.
On the international side, actress Susan Sarandon talks briefly in another CNN report about what she has seen and her favorite hunger charity. "In my trips overseas I saw the choices people are forced to make. I saw how difficult it is to get a toehold to lift yourself up from poverty because you’re always struggling to feed yourself one more day. With a gift that helps them feed themselves ... they become responsible for helping lift up a neighbor through “Passing on the Gift” ... in their communities." Read the full article here or click photo at right.
Here in Oregon - where 75,000 children need emergency food in an average month - requests for emergency food are skyrocketing to record levels according to a recent article by the Oregon Food Bank. Meanwhile, Public News Service-Oregon reports our state has jumped from 18th in the nation to third in the most recent state rankings of food "insecurity." Read more here.

Volunteers Kick-off Community Share Program...

A huge "Thank You!" to the families from Springwater Environmental Charter School and other volunteers who came to NWPM's warehouse on November 18th!
With the energy and enthusiasm of these volunteers, we were able to sort, pack and distribute several boxes of food to many neighbors in need in our community. This effort represented the kick-off of our Community Share Program & Delivery of Community Share Food Boxes to ten locations. (More information about Community Share will be comming soon.)
Watch this quick video of the work "party!"

Please note! We will be doing another NWPM Food Pantry Workparty with service club volunteers from Lincoln High School!
When: Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13th, 2008.
Where: Two locations - (1) NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton, and (2) NWPM Food Pantry at 1808 NW Irving (First Immanuel Lutheran Church)
More Volunteers Welcome!
Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org
(503) 221-1224 ext.105

Volunteer News & Opportunities

Happy autumn to all our NWPM volunteers & supporters!
This is the time of year when we tend to take stock of all the things we are grateful for. At least, I do. For example, the effort, time & resources you all give that help make miracles happen in our community! That is something I am very grateful for. Thank you so much for all you do!

With the leaves changing colors and the trees turning bare, now is a transformational season as well. Similarly, there are some exciting changes and transformations taking place in our community to talk about!

Please note the following three items below in particular!

• Backpack Fundraiser Monday, 11/17/2008!

• We've Moved into our New Office!

• The NWPM Food Pantry Program needs you!

All my appreciation & best wishes!
Kelly Caldwell,
NWPM Volunteer Manager
Kelly@nwpm.org
P.S. As always, you can call or email me anytime to plug into volunteering!

Hunger Advocacy Training on 12/11

Are you the type who likes to be involved in politics?

Here's something that might be of interest to you:

We the People - Advocacy for the Upcoming Legislative Session
When: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Where: Oregon Food Bank, 7900 NE 33rd Dr, Portland

Oregon Food Bank's Advocacy department will share with you the hows and whys of becoming an anti-hunger advocate for your clients and community. Share your stories of working on the front lines! Yours are the voices that can make the greatest difference!

Kelly@nwpm.org can give you more info. if needed!

NCJW resuscitates emergency food-box program

In the photo at right, Zinaida Iskaliera selects bread at the food-box pantry. The photo is from an article by Jenn Knudsen, published in the Jewish Review. Jenn happens to be the daughter of Nikki Director who is NWPM's liaison from the National Council of Jewish Women. Nikki helped spearhead the volunteers to support the Nob Hill Business Association food drive back in May and is also serving on the auction committee.

"Thanks in large part to a substantial grant from the National Council of Jewish Women to Northwest Portland Ministries, Inc., its emergency food-box program is helping feed thousands of the working poor and their families, as well as the elderly on fixed incomes."
Read the full article here! - Jenn Director Knundson Photo