PORTLAND, Oregon — A Portland nonprofit that started from humble beginnings has now reached a major milestone. Volunteers with the Portland Food Project have now donated the equivalent of one million meals to people facing food insecurity.
The nonprofit started in 2012 by Richard Nudelman in Southeast Portland. Nudelman enlisted 14 of his neighbors to collect extra canned food items to help people facing hunger. Now, the organization has grown to over 1,600 volunteers in Portland.
“The need is a little frightening, I think, if you haven’t been exposed to it: 1 in 10 people in the Portland area suffer from food insufficiency,” said Karen Beck, a volunteer with the organization.
Six times a year, volunteers like Beck collect green bags filled with canned food items from neighbors. Those bags are then brought to a drop site, where they are given to 16 local food banks.
Beck said that people facing food insecurity often must choose between paying for food and paying rent: “We don’t want any of our neighbors to have to make those choices.”
According to Beck, the all-volunteer organization is all about neighbors helping neighbors.
“All that we ask of a donor is to grab an extra of anything that you are buying and put it in the green bag,” she said.
The organization has collected over 88,000 pounds of food in 2024 so far. In 2023, it collected over 100,000 pounds.
For volunteers, Beck says, the collection events are an uplifting time.
“People are really energized," she said. "You see a lot of food coming in; you feel like you are making an impact.”
Those interested in taking part in Portland Food Project can learn more about here.