PORTLAND, Oregon —
Hunger and food insecurity don’t stop for winter weather, and neither do the nonprofits working to feed those in need.
Despite temperatures in the 20s, snow over the weekend and an impending ice storm, Urban Gleaners was out hosting a free food market in Mt. Scott Park on Tuesday afternoon.
“We are here every Tuesday at 12:15, and rain or shine, we try to be here, no matter what,” said Nico Niebes, executive director of the nonprofit.
Urban Gleaners collects food from grocery stores and corporate cafeterias that would otherwise be headed for the trash.
“All this food is completely fresh and edible; it was just unfortunately going to go to the landfill due to the date or stocking systems at a grocery store,” Niebes said. “So we go in and we rescue that food and then we get it out to the people who need it.”
Dozens of folks braved the frigid temperatures to fill their bags with groceries at the event.
“We’ve got prepared foods, frozen foods, meats, bread, dessert, dairy items and fresh produce,” Niebes said.
Suzanne Washington, executive director of Meals on Wheels People in Portland, said her organization was lucky to get advanced warning of the nasty weather. That allowed them to send out extra meals so that their participants wouldn’t go hungry.
“Today, we are not making deliveries unless there are people that have no food,” Washington said Tuesday. “Anyone that doesn’t have the emergency meals we sent out or extra meals we sent out last week, we will figure out how to get them food today.”
And the need is as great as it’s ever been: Niebes said Urban Gleaners distributes roughly 25,000 pounds of food per week, with very little going to waste.
While it may have been chilly for those handing out the food on Tuesday afternoon, Niebes said that just underscored the importance of getting the food to those who were there to pick it up.
“Horrible weather affects the most vulnerable in our population who are already at risk,” Niebes said. “So being able to operate like this on a day like today when probably a lot of other food markets and resources have been closed the last few days, we know how vital it is to get food out to those people who need it.”
Washington and Niebes said both of their organizations, Meals on Wheels People and Urban Gleaners, have more information on how to get food if you need it or how to volunteer on their websites.