Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s New Home

Purchasing and renovating a permanent home for Columbia Gorge Food Bank was the first major project that launched Rooted + Rising. In May 2023, more than 100 anti-hunger advocates and community leaders gathered at the Port of The Dalles to celebrate the grand opening of Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s new warehouse and community food center.

Inside the Network: Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s New Home

As the first major Rooted + Rising project, the new Columbia Gorge Food Bank supports one of the most historically underserved regions in Oregon. It addresses long-standing injustices laid bare by the higher and disproportionate rates of hunger faced by the Gorge’s migrant, Latine and Native communities — with many families residing more than 50 miles from the closest food access. The new facility increases food distribution capacity by over five times, opening a new chapter for communities facing hunger throughout Hood River, Sherman and Wasco counties.

In partnership with Oregon Food Bank staff, Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s new Executive Director, Breen Goodwin, is leading Columbia Gorge Food Bank from being a temporary branch of Oregon Food Bank to becoming an independently incorporated nonprofit and regional food bank in our Network — transitioning ownership back to local community in the years ahead.

This new facility positions Columbia Gorge Food Bank as a powerful and modern food sourcing hub for the entire Oregon Food Bank Network, making the locally grown and harvested bounty from this region accessible to communities across Oregon and Southwest Washington. The design also transformed Columbia Gorge Food Bank to include community gathering spaces for organizing, an onsite learning kitchen, and a home for partners – including Windy River Gleaners Food Pantry and The Dalles Community Backpack Program.

Join us to support more critical work to end hunger in our communities through Rooted + Rising.

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