The weather is beautiful, fall is approaching, and my garden is giving me fresh produce for my table. Some folks aren’t as fortunate and have challenges purchasing fresh produce to feed their families. The need for fresh produce in our community is real, and our neighborhood can help fill the gap. Again, this summer, the East Columbia Neighborhood Association is running a Surplus Garden Produce food drive.

How it works: When your garden produces more than you can use, it can be collected and delivered to a bona fide food distribution charity. You grow and harvest it. We will pick up and deliver it. Over the past two years we have supplied food to the St. Johns Food Share, the St Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Dignity Village, and the Oregon Food Bank.

I’m gathering produce to make a donation in the near future. To donate contact Sally Beck 503-453-5864 or Gary Kunz 503-799-1803. We will pick it up from you, or you can bring it to us.

The Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX board recently decided to donate $200 to North Portland neighborhood associations towards the cost of dumpster rental for community clean-up events organized by Neighborhood Associations.

Based on our experience, dumpster fees run $600.  That means if three NAs work together on a community event, you will have one dumpster available at no cost to your organization.  To facilitate the rental, Terrance Moses, our operations coordinator, will arrange the dumpster delivery with the company with which NHN PDX has a relationship. 

Thank you for the opportunity to partner with you in an event that will reduce trash in our North Portland neighborhoods and also provide a means by which peninsula residents can reduce and recycle items.  Please let us know if you are interested in taking advantage of our donation offer; there is no time limit.

We look forward to partnering with your neighborhood association in a community clean-up event.

Kind regards,

—         Patt Opdyke  
            Program Coordinator
              Secretary-Treasurer      Bridging the gap between our housed and houseless neighbors
                503.479.8157
info@nhnpdx.org    www.nhnpdx.org