Food Services of America & Charlie's Produce Join the Feast

Last week we got news from our contact at Oregon Culinary Institute that both Food Services of America (FSA) and Charlie's Produce will provide support to Feast for Southeast.  We are looking forward to preparing a truly fabulous, high-quality feast that will make the community feel thankful.  

Food Services of America is part of Services Group of America, one of the nation’s largest privately-held companies comprised of businesses providing a broad array of foodservice solutions to a wide spectrum of customers. (Including our event partner - the Oregon Culinary Institute).

Charlie's Produce Portland is a full service wholesale produce company, offering fresh produce delivery to restaurants, grocery stores, institutions and wholesalers throughout the greater Portland area.  Their chief goal is goal is to develop long term partnerships with their customers.

Thanks so much to Chris Carter at FSA and Pat Carey at Charlie's Produce.  We hope you guys will stop by and say hello on Thanksgiving!

SO Much Support From Warner Pacific College

The mastermind/planning committee leader of Feast for Southeast happens to be a full-time college student.  That is, he is an adult student (he also works full-time and is a full-time husband and father).  He just happens to attend Warner Pacific College, which also employs his wife.

A few weeks ago, Rob's Academic Advisor, Christine Tokonitz heard about what he was working with to put together for Thanksgiving.  Before we could blink, we received a call from the school's Director of Communications, who was interested in getting more information about Feast for Southeast.  Almost instantly, Warner Pacific's Director of Marketing got involved and the school started laying on layer upon layer of support.  From volunteer recruitment (Warner Pacific's President, Dr. Andrea Cook is volunteering with us!), to event promotion, strategic ideas about things we could do for next year, and even a generous monetary donation.  (We are even working to see if we can use the school's kitchen for storage - cross your fingers).

Thank you Warner Pacific College!

SE Portland Neighborhood Associations Support the Feast

What started as one person's dream has really snowballed into a collaboration of so many.  Before this initiative, my experience with neighborhood associations was very limited.  What I have learned over the last few weeks of working with Southeast's most involved citizens has made me think of these groups in new ways.  Neighborhood associations are the most grassroots, organic forces in making or breaking a community.  Whether things get done or not in a neighborhood is often largely decided in these warm, inviting monthly meetings where folks who care about where they live and who they live near decide what's worth supporting and what is not.

With all that said, the support from the neighborhood associations Feast for Southeast has been working with has been absolutely overwhelming.  Not only have these groups helped to spread the word through the Web, through announcements at meetings and distribution of flyers, but they have also come through as financial/gift sponsors as well.  The first one to do this was the Mt. Scott/Arleta Neighborhood Association.  Just this week, the Woodstock Neighborhood Association and the Brentwood/Darlington Association joined us with this humbling and encouraging support.

Aside from endorsement, financial backing and promotion, these association have provided an unexpected but much needed source of volunteers.  Neighbors from all walks of life are excited about getting involved.  And we can't wait to serve alongside you and get to know you!

Local Starbucks Stores Pledge to Support Feast for Southeast

Thanks to Starbucks, Feast for Southeast will be jumpin' with java! Two Southeast Portland locations came forward to supply coffee for our neighborhood Thanksgiving event.  Bryan Hardin, Manager of the Eastport Plaza Starbucks said "...love that you guys are doing this and we want to support you."

Thanks to Erin Peterson and Christina (store manager) the Fubonn Shopping Center Starbucks on SE 82nd (between Powell and Division) also jumped on board and will help supply coffee (as well as hot water for tea) for the honored guests and volunteers of Feast for Southeast.

If you find yourself picking up a cup o' joe at either of these locations, make sure to thank Bryan (at Eastport Plaza) or Christina (at Fubonn) for supporting our community event.

UPS Store on SE Woodstock Joins Feast for Southeast

When you're trying to plan a big community event to take place on a major holiday, one of the biggest concerns is getting the word out.  Though nowadays we have more methods than ever to help us accomplish this goal, there's a tried and true tactic that can be very costly - printing and distributing color flyers and posters.

Thanks to Don McKenney, owner of the UPS Store on SE Woodstock, Feast for Southeast has one less thing to worry about.  The UPS Store will generously donate printing services and paper to help Feast for Southeast promote and market the Thanksgiving Day event.  A big thank-you to Don and the UPS Store!!! Welcome to Feast for Southeast, we are thankful to have you join us.

Great Harvest Bread Co. of Clackamas to Support Feast for Southeast

We're so excited and happy to announce that locally-owned Great Harvest Bread Company in Clackamas is on board to support our Thanksgiving event!!!  You know the place....maybe last time you went to Target and stepped out of your car in the parking lot you smelled the delicious scent of freshly-baked bread....mmmmmm.  If you're anything like me, you may have investigated further, and you may have been pleasantly greeted by a friendly face and a free slice of bread.

Well, you're not alone.  Jim and Robin, the owners of Great Harvest would like to extend this warm, welcoming feeling to the guests of Feast for Southeast through a donation of bread items for the event.  We can already smell it baking (in our imaginations) and are so thankful for this wonderful new partner.

Impact Northwest Joins Feast for Southeast

Last week we had a meeting with our friend Gabi, who works at Impact Northwest and gave her an update on our Thanksgiving meal for Southeast Portland.  We asked for her help in spreading the word through the network of families Impact Northwest works with.  We also hoped to get an official endorsement from the organization.  Well, this week brought great news as we heard back from Julie, Director of Early Child Development that we had a resounding "thumbs up" in terms of Impact Northwest's partnership with us on the event.  Furthermore, we are excited about the possibility of working with their Dad's Group and getting additional helping hands in that way.  Thank you Impact Northwest!!


About Impact Northwest:

Impact Northwest’s mission is to help people achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and to prevent and alleviate the effects of poverty.

They are a unique non-profit human service organization, serving over 60,000 children, youth, families, seniors, and adults with disabilities annually, throughout Multnomah, Clark, Washington and Clackamas Counties. Their services are designed to help people improve their quality of life and live independently.

To learn more go to their Web site.

New Partner - Oregon Culinary Institute

We had a really great meeting last night with Josh, our friend and who is a chef that teaches at Oregon Culinary Institute, as he told us that OCI is really looking forward to supporting this great event via kitchen / food help.  To be able to count on an organization such as OCI is a blessing for "Feast for Southeast".  We currently are working on the details, but just wanted to share the great news and update everyone.  Thanks Josh for a great time last night talking about food, and catching up on the family too.

Thank you Oregon Culinary Institute for joining Feast for Southeast this year!

"Feast for Southeast" - Caring for our neighbors.

We are a group of Southeast Portland neighbors coming together to host a community Thanksgiving meal on November 25th, 2010 from 2-4pm at the Mt. Scott Community Center.  The meal will benefit those residents of Southeast Portland who find themselves in unfortunate situations – the homeless, the unemployed or underemployed, families in need, the lonely.
Feast for Southeast is inviting local businesses, organizations and individuals to make tax-deductible donations toward the hard costs of the event, including food, beverages, and supplies. The group will honor all contributions with signage at the Feast for Southeast event, inclusion in the final press release and live mentions both at the holiday event and in resulting news coverage. It is a great way for businesses to make an impact on the community and gain positive exposure.

Businesses interested in making donations to the event, or individuals interested in volunteering their time or talent should contact Feast for Southeast  at Feast4Southeast@gmail.com for more information.