Hello Lift UP family,

First, thank you. So many of you have stepped up in these unprecedented times. Your sense of humanity and generous spirit continue to inspire me.

As stressful, disruptive and confusing as this is for many of us, it’s our clients, Portland’s most vulnerable, that may feel it most.

We’re seeing schools, businesses and social service organizations close their doors under the stress. It’s time to dig deep, help each other, and live up to Portland’s reputation for being a caring community.

At Lift UP, we’re committed to staying open and continuing to provide critical food services to our neighbors. We’re strictly enforcing the government guidelines of social distancing and have modified operations to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus to our staff, clients, and volunteers.

To maintain our services, we need your help. Please donate here. Most of all, we need you to be safe. Stay home if you are sick and follow the CDC guidelines.

In more news, after more than five years with Lift UP, Erin Goldwater, Executive Director, has made the difficult decision to leave the organization.

Erin has been instrumental growing Lift UP to the thriving community organization, ensuring our neighbors have access to healthy food, that it is today.

Erin leads with her heart. She has built a devoted and high-performing Lift UP team and developed strong relationships with all our stakeholders including volunteers, agencies and community partners. We are beyond thankful for her leadership and for her service to our community.

We are actively searching for the next Executive Director and are confident to have one in place soon. We are grateful that Erin has offered to stay on until the new leadership is successfully transitioned into the new role.

Again, thank you for staying safe and for being Lift UP’s family.

With gratitude,

Brian Fleener
Board President, Lift UP