Store to Door’s Annual Nourish to Flourish Gala Raises more than $72,000!

On Thursday, September 19th, more than 150 friends and supporters of Store to Door gathered at Jupiter NEXT Hotel for a lively evening of food, drinks and great company. The evening featured the conclusion of our online auction, an exciting wine pull, and our popular ‘Price is Right’ game, as well as an impactful address from Store to Door Client Michael, and words from our Executive Director and members of our board.

All told, we raised $72,687 together, surpassing our fall fundraising goal! We are deeply grateful to all those who contributed, and to our event sponsors who made the evening possible! (If you did make a gift at the event, don’t forget to visit our website and scroll down to see if your employer will match your gift at no extra charge!)

The partnership of our community is a vital part of our work supporting independent living for homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities across Portland. Together, we will continue working towards a community in which all people are nourished, connected, and able to age with dignity in the setting of their own choosing! It was wonderful to be able to celebrate together again at our first benefit gala event since 2019.

Thank you to all those who attended and helped us make the event a success! You can find more photos from the evening here and portraits from the photobooth can be found here.

We are deeply grateful for the hard work and generosity of so many members of our community which made this event, and all of Store to Door’s work, a reality. We recognize the need for a community that recognizes and responds to those most in need within it, and this spirit is in part what we celebrated this month and Nourish to Flourish. The partnership of our community is vital to our work supporting homebound seniors and adults with disabilities across Portland.

To all those who joined us at the event, old friends and new, we hope that you will remain connected to our program–and we look forward to seeing you again at Nourish to Flourish next year!

Interested in Volunteering with Store to Door?

As a volunteer-based organization, Store to Door relies on the generosity of our wonderful volunteers, in addition to our donors and supporters! Sign up to volunteer individually or with a team, and help us make an impact in the lives of our neighbors in need!

Email us at volunteer@storetodooroforegon.org if you or someone you know might be interested in signing up!

Consider becoming a member of our Nourishing Circle!

Our Nourishing Circle monthly giving society plays a major roll in supporting Store to Door’s ongoing work on a consistent basis.

With just a few dollars a month, you can continue to sustain Store to Door’s service to those in need in our community!

Volunteer Spotlight: John Collet

This month, we had a chance to chat with Store to Door Volunteer John Collet. As a Food Box Packer, John has given more than 90 hours of his time since first volunteering with Store to Door in 2023!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: I saw it on a volunteer website in Aug 2023 and applied.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Family, reading, walking, riding Trimet to libraries and Powell’s Books.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: I put sauerkraut on my hotdogs. You have to get a vegetable in somewhere.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Go ahead and volunteer. The employees and fellow volunteers give you lots of support.

Volunteer Spotlight: Bob Monsey

We recently had a chance to catch up with Store to Door Volunteer Bob Monsey! Bob has been volunteering with Store to Door since June of 2023–and has already given more than 100 hours of his time in support of our homebound clients!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: I got involved with Store to Door when I found out that a friend of mine, whose energy and attitude I’ve long admired, works for Store to Door. And when I found out from her what S2D was all about, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So I asked in! And I’m glad I did. Thanks, Linda!

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Currently, my wife, Jess, and I are working towards starting our own business here in Portland – centered on children and their families and a desire to be a glue in our community.

And we have two school age children, and a sweet mutt named Freyja, who all seem to lack an ‘off’ switch! 😁

All of that keeps me on my toes of late. But I also enjoy gaming, grilling, get-togethers, getaways, great music and movies, and napping.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: I’ve worn many different and disparate hats in my life. I’ve been a farmhand, a social worker, a bartender, an armed services member, a dog trainer, a wanna-be rockstar, et al. But for the last (nearly) 12 years, I’ve been blessed to be a stay-at-home dad ever since our daughter, Emma, was born – with our son, Henry, following a couple years later. That’s my favorite hat.

Also, I don’t actually like wearing hats. I’m a bit hair-obsessed as all the other men in my family are balding or bald and I was teased about the ‘inevitability’ my whole life. Who’s laughing now, gentleman?! Recessive genes for the win! 😅

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: I can honestly say that the simple acts of service that I get to perform through Store to Door on a weekly basis can and do enrich the lives of those we help in our community, and that in turn my own life has been enriched in ways I could not have ever imagined before I started. If you have the time, there is a need, and it comes back to you tenfold.

Volunteer Spotlight: Peggy Schlegel

This Month, we caught up with Store to Door Volunteer Peggy Schlegel, who has been volunteering as a Friendly Caller and Volunteer Shopper since 2021! During that time, Peggy has given more than 400 hours of her time in support of our homebound client, and is a regular fixture on Thursdays at the the Hollywood Store!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: In 2002 after my husband retired and I gave up caching High School Dance Teams I was looking for a volunteer opportunity. A friend told me to look at Whats Up Portland. I found the store to door opportunity and since I enjoy talking t people I began by calling clients at the overton street building and writing their orders on paper. At the time there was a woman named Patty there that was quite nice. I did that for several years and also did a bit of shopping when I was able. At that time we were shopping at the burnside Fred Meyer.

I took a long break in about 2006 while I volunteered at Albertina Kerr. I began shopping again at the end of the Pandemic. I had a friend who lived in NE Portland and convinced her to shop for Store to Door also. Although I live in Banks I decided to shop at the Hollywood Fred Meyer with her. We would normally have coffee afterwards. I soon became a bit more connected with the other shoppers and staff and feel very comfortable gong in when I am able.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: When I am not volunteering at Store to door my time is spent volunteering at Rose Haven, (a day shelter) , cooking meals and baking for my family and friends, going to a local gym 2 days a week, attending my grandchildren’s school events, travelling a bit , continuing to market my deceased husbands art work with Northwest Galleries, and directing the Thunderbird High School Summer Dance Camp at the University of Portland. I also toon and Italian class for two years recently at Portland State.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: Probably not anything too interesting… I twirled a baton for many years as a child and into my late teens, I marched in the One More Time Around Band with the Dancers for 4 years, About 35 -40 years ago I had a very small walk on part in the Television Movie “The Promise” starring James Garner. I have three adult children and 8 grandchildren. I love them all and have enjoyed taking some pretty fun trips with them…..

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: I would say if you like to Grocery Shop it is really a great experience …fun to discover new items that people ask for, so nice to call the client when you cannot find something and they are so appreciative of the call and that you took the time to check in. The volunteer commitment is not stressful. The staff at both Store to Door and Fred Meyer are helpful and kind.

It has been rewarding being a Friendly Caller too. The people I talk to each week are friendly, interesting and thoughtful. One of the gentlemen and I have a fun chat about sports every week…he is 92 years old but knows about all the teams!

I love being able to volunteer at Store to Door…the work this organization does is so appreciated and I am happy to be a small part of Store to Door.

Volunteer Spotlight: Elizabeth Miranda

This month, we had a chance to catch up with Store to Door Volunteer Elizabeth Miranda. Since 2023, Elizabeth has given more than 100 hours of time as a Delivery Driver and Volunteer Shopper!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?

A: I found Store to Door through Hands On Greater Portland when I was searching for volunteer opportunities in the city. I started as a delivery driver for the foodbox program and have been doing that for over a year now. I have also been a store shopper at the Hollywood Fredmeyer.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?

A: I work at Travel Portland and love helping bring people to our amazing city! I am also a dedicated Pug mom and spend lots of time on walks and at the dog park.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?

A: I am a triplet!

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?

A: I think Store to Door is such a rewarding volunteer opportunity because you get to interact with the same individuals every month. At the same time that you are giving support to those in our community who need it, you are also able to form relationships with them over time.

Store to Door’s Community Impact Social Hour

Earlier this month, Store to Door hosted our first Community Impact Social Hour and Briefing. The event was designed to foster discussion about the complexity of needs facing low-income homebound seniors living in our community. We are proud to be part of a community of nonprofit service providers that are committed to working together to support our most vulnerable seniors.

Together, we focus on reducing the challenges and barriers of remaining independent.

At the social hour event, we were pleased to share video comments from Senator Ron Wyden (an early Store to Door volunteer), underscoring the importance of our ongoing work of improving public policy and service delivery to support our seniors. Urban gerontologist Alan DeLaTorre, PhD, spoke about the changing demographics in our senior population, as well as the economic, social, and structural challenges that put pressure on our aging population. He also underscored the strengths of seniors and talked briefly about how many seniors need targeted supportive services as they age.

The centerpiece of the evening was a panel presentation discussing the obstacles and opportunities associated with food access and security, housing stability, peer and social support, and access to quality healthcare. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Affirming that every human being deserves access to healthy and nutritious food
Helping seniors to maintain their housing is imperative as our community continues to be challenged to create affordable housing
Everyone needs social connections and peer supports to age with dignity
The shift towards a team approach to home healthcare and healthcare coordination improves health outcomes for seniors.

We are thankful that Store to Door is able to work in partnership with agencies like Northwest Pilot Project, Portland Open Bible Community Pantry, Villages NW, and Housecall Providers to address the needs of older adults. We look forward to taking the insights from events such as this one to begin building a collaborative network of organizations that can provide scaffolded services to seniors that will provide housing and food security, access to healthcare, and social connection.

Additionally, it is key in our support of our homebound members of our community that we reinforce their societal value. On our end, we will continue to expand our Resource Referral Program that contributes to these four areas such as yard care and home maintenance to reduce evictions and improve safety, transportation to provider appts and social interactions and value through community networks.

We were also honored to present our Helen Bernstein Leadership Award to longtime partner Kaiser Permanente! The award was accepted by Kaiser representative Betty Benson and recognizes their outstanding partnership with Store to Door in support of homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities! Huge thanks to Kaiser for their ongoing support of our program work, and their commitment to serving those in need in our community!

Volunteer Spotlight: Jan Loewen

This month we chatted with longtime Store to Door volunteer Jan Loewen. Since starting to volunteer in 2017, Jan has given more than 725 hours of her time as a shopper and runner at our Hollywood location!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?

A: I was introduced to Store to Door through my oldest daughter, Beth, when she was working at Kaiser Permanente. Beth formed a team for a community benefit day and recruited me. I was also working at KP and knew the company was a long time supporter of Store to Door, but until then I hadn’t been involved. I enjoyed volunteering that day and just kept on coming!

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?

A: I am retired and when not involved with Store to Door, I am the President of Friends of Chamber Music which presents concerts and conducts music education outreach in the Metro area. I enjoy walking, reading, sampling the Portland food scene, live music and traveling. However with my recent adoption of Ruby, a Cavapoo puppy, I will probably be staying closer to home.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?

A: When I was in college I drove a school bus route for Elementary school kids – a solid introduction to the skills necessary for managing people!

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?

Store to Door is a terrific organization, supporting independent living for vulnerable populations in our city. The staff and regular volunteers are friendly and fun, and we love having teams from supporting organizations join us. Volunteering gives you a sense of purpose and participation in the community. Its a great way to get out, engage with others and be active. Come join us!

Help us meet our Ed Cauduro match!

Thanks to a generous gift from the Ed Cauduro Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, Store to Door has the opportunity to have the first $10,000 we raise this year matched, dollar for dollar! Thanks to the generosity of our community of funders and supporters, we are just over $2,000 away from reaching our goal–but there is work left to do!

Together as a community, we have continued our work supporting independence for homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities. We have grown our service numbers steadily through our 35 years of service, and now deliver to roughly 300 clients each week. With the help of our wonderful volunteer community, we have added to our support programs, making friendly phone calls, delivering free food boxes, and partnering with other local organizations so that we can refer clients to additional services that they might need.

We could not have the impact that we do without your partnership. Will you consider giving today to take advantage of this wonderful matching opportunity, and finish our spring fundraising campaign strong?

Volunteer Spotlight: Tom Gilroy

This month we caught up with Tom Gilroy, who has been volunteering with Store to Door as a Volunteer Shopper since 2021, and has given more than 200 hours of his time in support of homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?

A: Shortly after retiring, I wanted to find somewhere to volunteer. During my working days my team members volunteered at a number of team events with store to door. A perfect fit and a great place to give some time back to our local community.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?

A: My dog comes first. Long morning and afternoon walks. As we both get older the walks get a little shorter. My wife and I enjoy traveling and exploring new places. Beaches are high on our list.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?

A: This spring I will get to complete one of my bucket list items. We are off to Tahiti to stay in an over-the-water bungalow. Looking forward to the warm weather and many water adventures. Swimming with the sharks and rays should be one of the many highlights.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?

A: Knowing you are helping people in your community is wonderful. We all need some support from time to time. These events keep you active and the team you work with is a lot of fun. Volunteering will give you a sense of purpose.

Black History Month

This Black History Month, we’d like to honor several of our community’s organizations and their work:

Urban League of Portland

Urban League is dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historic Black communities. Their Portland Chapter was activated in 1945 and is one of the oldest civil rights and service organizations in the area.

Follow Urban League:
Facebook
Instagram
Linkedin
Twitter

IRCO’s Africa House

Africa House serve more than 5,000 community members from 22 ethnic and cultural backgrounds each year and is staffed by a multicultural team representing 17 ethnicities and speaking 10 languages. They are proudly celebrating 17 years of serving our African communities!

Follow Africa House:
Facebook
Instagram
Linkedin

Portland Open Bible Community Pantry

1 in 5 Oregonians live with food insecurity—Portland Open Bible Community Pantry distributes food and other essentials to children, seniors, families and other individuals in need throughout the state of Oregon! POBC works to provide neighbors in need with good quality fruits and vegetables, canned goods and dairy, as well as fresh and frozen meats and proteins! POBC Pantry is available to anyone in the state of Oregon.

Follow Portland Open Bible Community Pantry:
Facebook
Instagram

The Miracles Club

The Miracles Club provides safe spaces for marginalized, historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups. They serve all individuals looking to find freedom and/or reduce harm from alcohol and drug abuse. Their mission is to maintain a recovery-focused environment where all people feel safe to heal.

Follow The Miracles Club:
Facebook
Instagram

Thank you to these organizations for their dedication to helping strengthen our communities!