Market of Choice: Partnering to provide meals in Portland | Meals on Wheels People

Market of Choice: Partnering to provide meals in Portland

Market of Choice

January 6th, 2021 | by Market of Choice

This past holiday season, our Belmont and Cedar Mill stores in the Portland metro teamed up with two nonprofits focused on alleviating food insecurity through our donation of turkeys and through the support of our customers who donated via our Scan-A-Coupon program at checkout. Together, we are helping to feed those who need it most.

Meals on Wheels People Partnership
The Belmont and Cedar Mill stores accepted donations at checkout for Meals on Wheels People for three weeks in December 2020. With a mission that no senior will go hungry or experience social isolation, Meals on Wheels People delivers nutritious foods, while creating human connections and social support. The organization serves adults, ages 60 and up, in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties, and a single meal costs $7.39. Many times, the volunteer delivering the meal is the only person some recipients see on a typical day. Donations can also be made online to the organization. Our other store locations will continue to collect Scan-A-Coupon donations at checkout to benefit local food banks and pantries.

Feed the Mass Partnership
Market of Choice also partnered with Feed the Mass to distribute our donation of more than 500 pounds of turkey. The turkeys were cooked at the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center in Portland and rubs and marinades were provided by Waves Caribbean.

Waves Caribbean is a BIPOC-owned, Portland-based maker. Their recipes are derived from the family’s Jamaican and Trinidadian family heritage, and their sauces are available for purchase at all Market of Choice locations. The Food Innovation Center helps entrepreneurs bring products to market and has a full-service consumer sensory testing lab and a food safety hub that is used for education and testing. Their goals of adding value to the Northwest food sector industries and commitment to being accessible to diverse, underrepresented and underserved communities made this organization a natural partner in this collaboration.

Originally, Feed the Mass was established as a not-for-profit cooking school to inspire people, especially those identifying as BIPOC, to learn how to prepare healthy meals. When COVID hit, cooking classes were paused. Seeing food being tossed out during this time inspired founder Jacobsen Valentine to find ways to eliminate food waste and feed the hungry, unhoused and people whose livelihood has been affected by COVID safety measures. Currently, the organization is run by a small army of volunteers, as well as several volunteer chefs whose restaurants are not operational during the pandemic. Food was prepared and packaged for distribution and delivered during the holidays. Valentine says, “No matter who you are, we are here to provide food, love and sustenance.”

Market of Choice was pleased to partner with these vital community organizations. And we thank you, our customers, for your continued support of the Scan-A-Coupon program. Your donations really do make a difference!

Read article on Market of Choice

Sign Up

Stay up to date with the latest news!