Urban Gleaners

Mission

Our mission and purpose is to collect delicious fresh food before it can go to waste and distribute it to food insecure children and families in a sustainable, equitable, and dignified way.

Bottom Line for Portland

Collecting and redistributing food is one of the simplest and most effective ways to combat both hunger and climate change. In order to address these systemic injustices within our local community, we strive to provide a critical link between businesses or farms that have excess food and the food insecure people who need it. Our community-led Free Food Markets allow families an opportunity to shop for a wide variety of fresh, high quality groceries and meals that meet their dietary needs and taste preferences. Your support helps us reach more families in our area by eliminating all barriers to accessing nourishing food to ultimately create a resilient system that celebrates food as a fundamental right in a just society.

Food for all!

Quote

“Having free access to groceries for families with little to no money to pay for food is very meaningful for our students' lives.” - Free Food Market volunteer host

“This service is amazing. The volunteers welcome you in with a friendly wave, they are smiling and kind, and don't make you feel like a burden. The food is healthy. I feel like we can make it. Like we have a cushion and don’t have to be so stressed which means I am nicer to my children and spouse. And I feel like our community really cares.”

- Free Food Market attendee

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

BIPOC, and immigrant communities, are more likely to experience food insecurity, and the pressures and demands from the pandemic, turbulent economy, and inflation further reinforced this disenfranchisement. We partner with culturally-responsive community groups who provide outreach for the service populations that they already serve and have relationships with. We continue to innovate outreach practices for our services to ensure they are culturally appropriate for these communities conducting in-person surveys on food satisfaction, cultural-appropriateness, client demographics, and assess inclusivity and effectiveness. Food is one of the most vibrant expressions of culture we have, and we help make it possible for low-income parents to pass their own food cultures on to their children while giving them the nutrition they need.