It’s early notice, but we’re going to let you know about a volunteer opportunity that will be coming up next month. We invite you to join the MLK Loaves & Fishes staff and volunteers in helping to raise money for the center. It’s easy – all that’s required is a friendly face, a smile, and the chance to say hello to some of your neighbors who are heading into the Concordia (NE 33rd) New Seasons store!

Food security issues have really come into the forefront of public discussion in the past couple of years, as study after study has documented hunger in our community.  Loaves & Fishes is an excellent example of one of the many ways community efforts are being drawn together to relieve hunger and help us to help each other be well-fed.

I, hedda, will be signing up to volunteer. I hope you will to! Details on the event are below…

Got two hours? Join my Donate Dinner team!

I’m helping Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People, provide meals to local seniors by leading up a Donate Dinner team. I hope you’ll consider donating two hours to help us greet customers at the New Seasons Market – Concordia store on Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

Donate Dinner is one of the largest fundraising events in the Portland metropolitan area, held the five days before Thanksgiving. Last year, more than 1,500 people volunteered for 2-hour shifts and the outcome was incredible – they raised more than $220,000 to support the Meals-On-Wheels program. That’s 60,000 meals!

We’ll greet customers as they come in to the store to shop for their Thanksgiving dinner, offer them a Donate Dinner card, and let them know they can buy dinner for a senior just by telling the cashier when they check out. It is that simple!

Please join my team for a 2-hour shift. Having volunteer greeters more than triples the amount of money that’s donated each hour. Last year, each volunteer raised an average of $225 per shift – That’s enough to feed 61 seniors!

Together, we can make sure that no senior in our community goes hungry or experiences social isolation. Click here to see my team’s current schedule and pick a shift that works best for you.

If you are not available on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 to volunteer for my team, please go to www.donatedinner.org and see if another date and store are available. It takes a village to feed our seniors!

–David Lomax, MLK Loaves & Fishes Senior Center Manager
Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People is a secular nonprofit corporation that prepares 5,000 meals each weekday for seniors in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties. Unlike most other Meals-On-Wheels programs, our local Loaves & Fishes has never had a waiting list for meal services. Why? Because of the generous community support from volunteers and donors, a meal can be delivered within 24 hours of notification.