Dear friend,

Wow. Here we are at the end of 2020. It’s astounding to look back and reflect on everything the world has thrown at us over the past 12 months. And yet we have persevered, despite wild changes in how we connect with our neighbors and provide the essential resources we all require, no matter what. Each member of Lift UP has taken time to reflect on their own experience in 2020, and what impressed them the most about how our community has grown stronger, despite (or maybe because of) the way our world has dramatically changed. 

When I joined the Lift UP team, I was immediately impressed by the resilience of our staff and volunteers. Lift UP quickly adapted to meet the needs of our community, implementing safety precautions to reduce the spread of COVID, sourcing nutritious food despite changes in food systems, and meeting the rising demand for services. I am so grateful for the donors, new and ongoing, who stepped in to keep us strong when our community needed us most. It has been moving to hear from our clients who jumped in as volunteers so their neighbors could continue to safely receive food from Lift UP. Our community and their dedication to reducing hunger is at the heart of our resilience.

- Stephanie Barr, Executive Director

Despite it all, this year has been a reminder of why we do the work we do. At the beginning of the pandemic, we each made a conscious decision to continue to provide food resources for our community, even though it would look different than last year. Volunteers and staff worked as a team to make sure our warehouse, deliveries, and Preston’s Pantry were able to continue as a pillar of support for community members old and new facing food insecurity. While it continues to present challenges, it has been very inspiring to hear how important and vital the work we are doing is. Even a worldwide pandemic will not stop our team from helping our community when in need.

- Ceci Estraviz, Warehouse Specialist

During this pandemic, our community has been quite resilient. Volunteers have pivoted to new processes to ensure that food gets distributed to the community safely while protecting their health at the same time. Clients have been supportive of one another and have continued to access the food they need to maintain their health and well-being. Although the pandemic is scary and has presented many obstacles to our professional and personal lives, our community has been brave and shown up for each other to make sure people can continue to get the food they need. I am grateful to not only be a part of Lift UP, but to also see firsthand that compassion amongst people can be limitless.

- Abby Morris, Volunteer Manager

You know what they say: “when the going gets tough ….”  We need to continue with our mission no matter what. The definition of resilience is to be able to withstand or recover from difficult conditions. We got some curve balls thrown at us last Spring but were able to rise to the challenge, be adaptable, and continue on with our mission. We never missed a beat and continued to provide our neighbors with access to healthy food. Thank you to donors who helped us purchase the food we needed, thanks to volunteers showing up every week with enthusiasm and smiles, and thanks to clients for being adaptable and patient during the most stressful of times. It has been a tough year and we learned a lot. We proved our community is capable of anything life throws at us.

- Teresa Steichen, Program Manager, Preston's Pantry

This year has been a year of adaptation for all of us. We’ve experienced drastic changes in food sourcing, distribution, and fundraising as an organization, as well as political unrest, rising financial and housing insecurity, isolation, and anxiety as a society. I couldn’t be more impressed with how our community has come together despite shouldering the weight of 2020. This year marked the 40th anniversary of Lift UP, which has transformed and adapted to meet the needs of the Northwest and Downtown Portland community during its lifetime. This year exemplified how we will continue to connect with our neighbors and provide access to healthy nutritious food, one of the most essential needs, for another 40 years. I couldn’t be more proud of our team, who met each obstacle head on with the needs of our community first and foremost at the head of every decision we made. Our relationships grew stronger, we connected with so many residents and community members who wanted to support us, and worked closely with our friends at Oregon Food Bank and other community partners to ensure we could continue operations at Preston’s Pantry and our Delivered Food Box program for neighbors unable to shop at the Pantry. This year is truly a testament to the commitment and strength of the Lift UP family- staff, volunteers, clients, and donors.

- Brett Williams, Community Engagement Manager

Would you consider partnering with us to meet our Year End goal of $15,000? Your donation will support Lift UP into 2021 and beyond!

Please donate to Lift UP today and keep our neighbors fed, happy, and healthy.

THE LIFT UP OFFICE IS MOVING!

In the spirit of growth and adaptation, we have a big announcement to make. As of January, the Lift UP office will be in a new location. We've been so excited to share the news with you about this momentous occasion.

The new Lift UP office location is:

Design Center PDX
735 SW 20th Place Suite 250
Portland, OR 97205

The new office is central to our service area and a mere ten minute walk to Preston's Pantry in the Goose Hollow neighborhood. We will be much more accessible to the community.

Our contact information remains the same, so we invite you to connect with us if you have any questions.

Wishing you the best this holiday season,

Brett Williams
Community Engagement Manager

2019 - 2020 Annual Report

The Lift UP 2019-2020 Annual Report is now available here.