PORTLAND, Ore. — On Friday, July 10, Portland Timbers players and staff packed more than 800 boxes with nutritious food at Sunshine Division’s new headquarters (2121 NW Front Ave, Portland, OR 97209) to be distributed to households across the Portland metro area.
Mayor Keith Wilson opened the event with brief remarks to welcome the Timbers volunteers before the group got to work.
NEWS COVERAGE: Hundreds of free food boxes packed for Oregon families facing food insecurity with help from Portland Timbers | kgw.com
The visit was part of the Timbers’ 15th Annual Stand Together Week, a community outreach initiative supporting more than a dozen nonprofits serving children, families, and communities across the region. Since 2012, Stand Together Week has mobilized more than 8,300 volunteers who have contributed over 26,000 hours of service through more than 375 community projects.
Food boxes packed during the July 10 event were distributed through Sunshine Division’s home delivery program, which launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now serves more than 500 households a week. Through this program, Sunshine Division has home delivered more than 150,000 free food boxes to families and individuals who might otherwise struggle to access food assistance.
Food insecurity has grown rapidly in the Portland metro area over the past year, as the number of Oregonians receiving SNAP benefits drops while grocery prices and the overall cost of living continue to rise. In response, Sunshine Division has expanded its food assistance programs by opening a new warehouse and Free Food Market, increasing hours of operation, and expanding its home delivery and holiday meal distribution programs to reach more people.
Sunshine Division is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and these hunger relief efforts are entirely funded by the generosity of the community.