Dear friend,
Zucchinis, radishes, and rutabagas, oh my! These are just some of the veggies in abundance this time of year for our neighbors who shop at Preston’s Pantry, receive Delivered Food Boxes, or frequent our Free Food Market.
The diversity of foods offered through our programs allow our clients the opportunity to experience new foods they otherwise may not have tried.
“I eat way more fruits and vegetables since receiving food from Lift UP. Some foods I might not have ever thought to try before,” said Mary Jamison, Delivered Food Box recipient.
Mary is not the only one who might play it safe when making food choices. There are definitely some vegetables that do not get the same love as, say, broccoli. The rutabaga falls in this category, and yet rutabagas are being given in abundance to our clients right now.
A rutabaga is a root vegetable that at first glance resembles a turnip. They are high in fiber, Vitamin C, and potassium. Suggested preparation for rutabaga novices is mashed. This Spruce Eats recipe for mashed rutabagas may just win you over!
Lift UP prides itself on providing our clients with fresh and nutritious produce. Over 98% of our clients surveyed said they eat more fruits and vegetables and that their health has improved because of Lift UP. We thank our many gleaning partners such as Oregon Food Bank, Trader Joe’s, and Grand Central Bakery who help to make varied food options possible for our neighbors.
Even with the food we collect from gleaning, we still have to purchase food to keep up with increased demand. According to Feeding America, it’s costing families 10% more to buy food this year and food banks 40% more to purchase the same amount of food in 2021. You can help us keep up with the demand. Every $5 equals 15 meals for your neighbors.
Meet Anja Robinson
We are excited to announce our new volunteer coordinator Anja Robinson. Anja has been with Lift UP for a little over a month and comes to us from William Temple House, where she has spent the past year serving clients in their pantry and supporting pantry volunteers. Anja is passionate about our mission to reduce hunger and her desire is to inspire others to feed our community. As a bonus, Anja is learning Mandarin. Our staff and volunteers are excited to benefit from this area of expertise as our pantry serves a large-speaking Mandarin population. For those wanting to connect with Anja, she can be reached at Anja@lifturbanportland.org or (503)- 221-1224 Ext. 107.
Come Celebrate with Us!
You are invited to join us for Making Connections 2022! This year's free, virtual event will share stories of resilience and highlight the positive effects of reliable access to fresh, nutritious food on our neighbors.
Making Connections 2022
September 22, 2022
5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for the event and to receive updates, including information about our exciting raffle packages
Gratefully yours,
The Team at Lift UP
PS
A Refugee Family Needs Your Help
(Message from our Community Partner, Zion Lutheran Church)
With the help of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, an Afghan refugee family with 4 children whose ages range from 11 to 1 month old has found permanent housing. They need household items including dressers, headboards, living room furniture, a vacuum cleaner, and more. If you can assist with this need, please email Bruce Strade at brstrade@aol.com.
Food brings us together.
