Dear friend,
Food at the Center: Eve's Story
Sixteen years ago, Eve immigrated from Hungary in search of a better life for her family. Amid the challenges of learning a new language, finding work, and adjusting to life in a new country, one need rose above all others:
"Food. Food stays with you.”
At Preston's Pantry, Eve finds far more than groceries. She finds community. Staff and volunteers know her by name. They remember her family. They welcome her with warmth.
The food itself matters deeply, too—fresh produce, organic options, and ingredients she trusts to keep her family healthy. Her husband manages kidney failure and follows a strict diet. Navigating her own health challenges, she recently recovered from bladder cancer. And she often helps to care for her grandchildren.
Food sits at the Center of Eve's life.
Food helps her stay healthy.
Food helps her stay housed.
Food helps her stay connected.
Even when she's near the end of the pantry line, she stays calm:
“If I get number 100, I don't panic. I know there will still be good food.”
A Year of Unpredictable Need
Eve's story, and many others like her, sits at the center of what has been one of the most volatile years we've seen in food security. Federal changes to the food supply chain and SNAP benefits -- including a freeze that reduced nearly 20% of fresh food nationwide and new eligibility rules that may affect almost 300,000 Oregonians — have put immense strain on households already stretched thin.
Even before the recent government shutdown, our systems were straining. When SNAP payments halted, thousands of neighbors suddenly lost the support they were told they could rely on. It was a stark reminder: federal systems can falter, but our community continues to care for one another. Each month brings new challenges for neighbors simply trying to keep food on the table, and yet the center remains the same:
For Eve, food is the center —
the center of her health,
the center of her housing stability,
and the center of her connections.
This Year-End Giving Season, We Invite You to Consider the Following...
Your generosity keeps food at the center for neighbors like Eve. When you give, you're doing much more than filling a pantry shelf:
You're strengthening someone's health.
You're stabilizing someone's housing.
You're building someone's community.
Your Gift Makes This Possible:
$1,000 supports an on-site pantry for half a year
$500 stocks Preston's Pantry with a week of fresh produce
$250 provides 200 provides 200 meals delivered directly to neighbors' homes.
$100 brings fresh food to 35 neighbors at a pantry pop-up
Will you help keep food at the center for families like Eve's?
Click here to help keep food at the center for your neighbors. With your support, we can keep food at the center for every neighbor who walks through our doors. Thank you for nourishing our community, and for standing with families like Eve's.
With Gratitude,
Stephanie Barr, Executive Director
Food brings us together.
