Brendan ffitch, Author at Store To Door of Oregon

Genentech Sponsors Week of Grocery Deliveries for Homebound Seniors

Genentech sponsored a week of grocery delivery costs for 233 homebound seniors and adults with disabilities during the week of August 19th through Store to Door’s Support-A-Week program. Employees of Genentech celebrated the week by volunteering to grocery shop for Store to Door clients, along with 50-60 other Portland-area volunteers.

Genentech believes that their employees’ skills, creativity and generosity can impact the communities in which they work and live. In turn, volunteerism increases pride in what they do, helps them grow and connects everyone to one another.

Store to Door’s Support-A-Week program offers corporations and organizations the opportunity to sponsor the cost of an entire week of grocery delivery to clients. The actual service cost per delivery averages $40, however clients are charged an average of just $3-$6 per delivery.

Genentech firstsponsored a week of grocery deliveries in 2015, and has continued their support through 2016, 2017 and 2018. Other companies who have sponsored a day or week of grocery deliveries in 2019 include First Tech Federal Credit Union, AWS Elemental, Wells Fargo, and Advantis Credit Union. Store to Door’s program is made possible by a close partnership with Fred Meyer.

Store to Door’s Newest Board Member!

We are delighted to welcome Ana Colombia Munoz Romero as the newest member of Store to Door’s Board of Directors! Ana joins Store to Door with an extensive background in healthcare and education. A Registered Nurse, Ana also has her Master Science Nursing in Education, beginning as an Emergency Room Nurse before becoming an educator.

Ana was born in El Salvador, and moved to Los Angeles California at the age of six before relocating to Portland nearly 2 years ago. She is the proud mother of 3 boys and now 3 grandsons, and has been enjoying the beautiful outdoors in the Pacific Northwest, including kayaking, river floating, and excursions to Mount Hood: “In my spare time I enjoy exploring new areas of Portland, I have recently discovered Estacada, OR. Beautiful open spaces and peacefulness. I am grateful to be here and wish to be part of everything Oregon has to offer.”

We are excited to have Ana’s contribution as a member of our Board of Directors, and want to extend a warm welcome to the Store to Door community!

Volunteer Spotlight: Dileep Dhruva

Q: How long have you volunteered with Store to Door and what role do you help us with?
A: I have volunteered at Store to Door for almost six months. I am a volunteer order taker at Store to Door.

Q: What do you enjoy about your volunteer experiences?
A: What I enjoy about my volunteer experiences is helping clients and developing a rapport with clients and staff. I also enjoy having more activity in my schedule.

Q. Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled to and why did you love it?
A: The most interesting place I have traveled to is Mexico. On December the 31, 2007 while visiting Cabo San Lucas I was deep sea fishing on a charter boat and caught a nine foot blue marlin that weighed one hundred and fifty pounds. After that experience, I have traveled back to Mexico many times and have enjoyed barbecues and campfires on the beach and explored the Baja peninsula while riding an ATV.

Q. Who do you admire most in your life?
A: I admire my father because he grew up in challenging conditions in India. He moved to England and studied medicine and then moved to the United States and practiced neurosurgery successfully.

Q. What does your perfect meal look like?
A: My perfect meal is a two inch thick ribeye barbecued over a charcoal grill in my backyard. I like it cooked to medium rare. On the side I enjoy homemade guacamole from my brother’s house. I also enjoy D’s potatoes (potatoes cooked in a foil packet with butter, bacon, and salsa) over my Weber charcoal grill.

AWS Elemental Sponsors Day of Grocery Deliveries to Homebound Seniors

On Wednesday, July 24th, AWS Elemental sponsored a day of grocery deliveries through Store to Door’s Support-A program! A team of Elemental employees volunteer to grocery shop at our Hollywood Fred Meyer location as well to mark the occasion.

AWS Elemental has been one of Store to Door’s most consistent supporters, and has also been a Store to Door WE Shop partner since 2015!\

More than Just Groceries to this House on the Hill

Just shy of a century on this earth, Doris Avshalomov has spent over half her life in her charming Arlington Heights home. For over fifty years, the native Portlander has lived amongst the towering evergreens surrounding her property. Every morning on her comfortable living room sofa, she triumphs over the New York Times daily crossword puzzle and reigns queen of her SW Portland castle.

Approaching Doris’ home, by way of an upward-sloping path and steep steps, visitors pass by a 1940s wood sign engraved “Howlet Press,” which was Doris’ own printing press. The house is a treasure trove of other curios as well—each with a story to tell. Once, when a delivery person brought her little boy along, he admired Doris’ special collections. Doris’ house, a living museum, is also a child’s paradise.

In Doris’ entryway, photographs of the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra line the walls; her late husband, Jacob Avshalomov, conducted the Philharmonic for forty years. Doris, the musical matriarch, played the double bass. “I played in the junior symphony,” Doris exclaims, “and loved every minute of it!” Both her sons, musicians too, play, conduct, and write music professionally – spread coast to coast in Los Angeles and New York City.

Always an excellent cook, Doris shopped carefully for the makings of their family meals. She loved picking out the best seasonal fruits and vegetables. Now, unable to hand-select her produce, she counts on Store to Door to select the perfect spring asparagus or juiciest plump summer tomato. “I trust Store to Door volunteers to pick my fruits and vegetables.”

“I first heard about Store to Door from my cousin,” Doris says of her initial connection with the program, which began in 2013, “and suddenly I was the one using the service!”

She gushes about the impact Store to Door has had in her life: “Store to Door has been very helpful. First of all, I don’t have to go to the grocery store. I don’t have to drive. I don’t have to carry things for myself. I order specifically. It’s really very helpful.”

Doris raves about her volunteers, too—”Everyone at Store to Door is friendly, sociable, and very good-natured. We always get to connect. I feel welcomed and cared about. They’re always cheerful and nice to see.”

On Wednesdays, Doris’ groceries are delivered to her by Jeannie, one of Store to Door’s outstanding delivery drivers. Jeannie helps unpack groceries, checks over Doris’ order for accuracy, and puts away items. In 2018, Store to Door staff and volunteers made nearly 11,600 such deliveries, to a total of 682 clients. This year, Store to Door continues to work towards our vision of Portland as a community in which all seniors such as Doris, and people with disabilities are nourished, connected, and able to age with dignity in the setting of their choice.

Bethany Boy Scouts clean Store to Door Tubs!

A diligent group of Boy Scouts from Troop 927, based out of Bethany, teamed up to scrub tubs for Store to Door, and did a wonderful job of it!

Do you know someone who might be interested in taking on a tub cleaning project like this? All of the tubs from our Hollywood Fred Meyer location could use some love! Contact our Volunteer Coordinator for more information!

Volunteer Spotlight: Kelsey Mousley

This month, we got to chat with Kelsey Mousley! Kelsey has been volunteering with us for nearly a year, and has been an indispensable help delivering groceries and food boxes to Store to Door clients!

Q: How long have you volunteered with Store to Door and what roles do you help us with?
A: I have volunteered for Store to Door for about eight months, and I help put together food boxes from the Sunshine Division food bank, and make deliveries.

Q: What do you enjoy about your volunteer experiences?
A: I enjoy volunteering with our elderly community through Store to Door because I can see how appreciative the clients are with each delivery. This is a very needed service, and sometimes just a quick visit can spark some joy and feelings of safety and care for our clients. I really enjoy talking with them as well. I think it is very important to bridge the gap between younger generations and seniors, they are very much a part of our community in the Portland area!

Q: If you could only eat three foods for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?
A: Anything with chocolate. I also love tacos or anything grown from a local garden!

Q: What has been your favorite vacation or travel experience?
A: My favorite travel experiences have been to Europe to visit family in England; as a child I was lucky also to experience France, Scotland and Wales. In the past few years, I have really enjoyed visiting other states in the U.S Like Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Q: When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?
A: When I have a bad day, I try to make some time to reach out to the people that I love. I can also be somewhat of an introvert, so I often like to go for a run, or pick up my guitar and play some music when I’m feeling down.

Store to Door’s 2019 Donor Appreciation Event!

On Thursday June 20th, Store to Door hosted its annual donor appreciation event for donors, community partners, and corporate sponsors. More than 46 guests filled a beautiful gathering space at Stoel Rives in Southwest Portland, enjoying light refreshments and great company.

We are so grateful to have such a dedicated (and fun!) community of supporters to further our mission to bring nourishment, connection and dignity to Portland’s homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities.

Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Mitchell

This month, we talked to Karen Mitchell, who has been volunteering with us since 2016, and has been an integral member of our Event Committee for the past three years!

Q: How long have you volunteered with Store to Door?

A: I’ve been a member of the Nourish to Flourish Event Committee for 3 years and really enjoy it. Part of my job at U.S. Bank was planning client entertainment events. After I retired, I really missed it and I’m grateful this has helped fill that void.

Q: You are currently volunteering on the Nourish to Flourish Event Committee – what do you enjoy about this position?

A: Most of all, working with such wonderful, fun people. Also, as part of the U.S. Bank division that awarded grants and funding, it’s interesting to be on the other side and request donations. It’s taken me completely out of my comfort zone and I’ve learned a lot.

Q. What is the most exciting thing on your horizon in the next few months?

Summer is car show season. My husband and I own a 1955 VW Oval Bug and a 1964 Karmann Ghia and attend all the shows we can. Good friends, warm sunshine, and lots of beautiful cars to look at – what could be better!!!

Q. If you had one extra hour of free time during the day, how would you use it?

Any free time that I have, my nose will be in a book, cat at my side. If I also have a latte and my husband is nearby, I’m in heaven.

Q. If you could instantly become an expert in one thing, what would it be and why?

I would love to play the piano as beautifully as my mother. She could read music, but also could play by ear. Hum a tune or mention a song and she could play it. I miss hearing her play. And she was right, I should have practiced more!

Store to Door Earns 2019 Oregon Ethics in Business Award from Rotary Club of Portland

On May 22nd, Store to Door was awarded with an Oregon Ethics in Business Award at a banquet held at the Sentinel Hotel. For 16 years, businesses and nonprofit organizations have been spotlighted to showcase organizations doing the right thing for their customers, employers, and clients through all aspects of their operations.

Store to Door was one of three nonprofit organizations selected for the award, along with Free Geek and New Avenues for Youth. The event also featured keynote speaker Nigel Jaquiss, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter from Willamette Week.

“Store to Door has a strong nearly 30-year track record of providing an efficient, affordable, and ethical service that is critical to the health and well-being of seniors and adults with disabilities. Not only do we continue to provide exceptional service to our clients, but as we’ve continued to grow and meet the demand of services, we have upheld our ethical practices and stayed true to our values of Nourishment, Connection, and Dignity, “ said Michael Beaty, Board President of Store to Door. “We are extremely proud to accept the Oregon Ethics in Business Award and invite the community to join us in helping seniors and adults with disabilities stay nourished and connected.”

“There are many businesses and nonprofits in Oregon and SW Washington that put business ethics as a top priority,” said Mike Rosenberg, Chairman, Oregon Ethics in Business Committee. “We are excited to hear from the 2019 recipients that have really gone above and beyond to lead our community.”

Oregon Ethics in Business Award honors those organizations and individuals who have demonstrated ethical business practice in its broadest interpretation: in the workplace, the marketplace, the environment, and the community. The award is hosted by The Rotary Club of Portland and presented by KGW Media Group.

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