Partner Agency COVID Updates

Read about important updates & opportunities for OFB partners. Sign up others to receive the newsletter.

Just a reminder that you're all on our minds as we close out another week.

Whether a pantry, meal site, Free Food Market, mobile School Pantry or other program - you are doing amazing work in a time of deep uncertainty. I hope you continue to take care of yourselves and rest, rehydrate and recharge regularly!

And, as National Volunteer Week closes out, a special thank you to all the volunteers who make all this work possible! You are the glue that holds this work together.

Your Regional Network Team,

Multnomah & Clackamas Counties - Courtney Wright, cwright@oregonfoodbank.org

Washington County - Jack Koran, jkoran@oregonfoodbank.org

Free Food Markets - Rob Rutledge-Shryock, rrshryock@oregonfoodbank.org

School Pantries - Ally Meyer, ameyer@oregonfoodbank.org

Help Other Pantries by Receiving Their Extra Food!

OFB runs a variety of programs that operate in outdoor spaces in order to meet community needs where there isn't a brick and mortar option for operations and storage of food. You might know these as Free Food Markets; however, our school programs have switched to this model with the closure of school buildings..

While the ability to operate a pop-up program is great at meeting community needs, it comes with complications of what to do with leftover food at the end. That's where we need your help!

If you are able to accept leftovers (produce and shelf-stable) from these pop-up sites, please reach out to them directly. You can see the sites and details on this spreadsheet. If you can pick up from them that's great, but onsite staff and volunteers could also likely bring it to your location. Pickup/dropoff would need to happen within the 30 minutes of the program end time. 

The Nonprofit Association of Oregon

I highly recommend signing up for NAO's newsletters - they always have great content, but their Coronavirus coverage and resource sharing is impressive! There are several webinars available to support nonprofits through this crisis.

Here's a link to this week's update to give you an idea of what they are covering and their upcoming trainings. Click here to sign up for their newsletter!

Under normal circumstances, the Nonprofit Association of Oregon is the statewide nonprofit membership organization representing and supporting charitable nonprofits of all sizes, geographic locations and missions across Oregon. NAO’s mission is to serve public benefit nonprofits by strengthening the collective voice, leadership, and capacity of nonprofits to enrich the lives of all Oregonians. NAO’s vision is that Oregon’s nonprofits are visible and valued as essential contributors to society. We are deeply invested in our core values: Collaboration, Equity and Inclusion, Excellence, Impact, Learning, Service and Stewardship.

HereTogether Presentation

If you missed this week's presentation from the HereTogether campaign, fear not! We recorded it so you can watch later! View the presentation here

How can you be involved in this effort?

Providence Community Resource Desk

The Providence Community Resource Desk (CRD) program is a referral service available to you and your clients. In collaboration with Impact NW, Providence staffs five Resource Desks in the Portland Metro area.

The program connects individuals with relevant and appropriate resources in their community. This program is available to everyone, and is free of charge.

Some examples of ways the bilingual and bicultural Resource Specialists assist clients include (but are not limited to):

During non-pandemic times, Resource Specialists are busy meeting with clients in-person at our five CRD locations. Due to social distancing, our Resource Specialists are now available via phone or Skype, but have had much fewer requests for assistance. Click here to see the flyer, and contact Sonya Kauffman Smith to request printed copies 503-893-7034

Energy Assistance through PGE

Portland General Electric offers energy assistance through several programs. Anyone eligible is encouraged to apply, or call to learn about:

Click here for a digital version of their pamphlet, and contact Marisa DeCristoforo to request printed copies to put in food boxes.

How has the Coronavirus Pandemic Affected You and Your Family?

Your story and the story of your community matters — and no one knows it better than you. How has Coronavirus affected those you care about? Are you able to access essential resources like food? Taking action in new ways to support people around you?

Physical distancing may keep us physically apart, but our communities are resilient and we’re coming together in new, amazing ways. 

So whether you're volunteering or advocating or receiving assistance, you are putting a face on this important issue and giving it a voice — and we want to hear from you! 

Please send a message online or leave a voicemail at (971) 313-8301 to share your story and help us all #EmergeStronger from this crisis. 

Updates at a Glance:

Most importantly, thank you for your continued work and dedication in this uncertain moment. Whether your site is remaining open or has closed, we know neither is a decision you've taken lightly. We're in this together, and together we know we will all Emerge Stronger!

New Agency/Coordinator Orientation

Wednesday, April 29th

2:00 - 3:30 pm

About this Event

This is our training for new Partner Agencies and new coordinators. If you're not brand new, but haven't attended an orientation yet, please plan to attend. We want to be sure you are aware of the ins and outs of our partnership, and this is the best way to ensure a smooth transition. Orientation is required for all coordinators, and currently happening remotely. We will cover important information about ordering, reporting, compliance and accessing support through OFB - especially now that COVID-19 has changed so much about how we operate. We are here to help build your program's capacity, support you in your service delivery, and help answer questions. Please email Emily to signup.