Mission Statement
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To provide a free hot meal and community gathering place every Sunday to
anyone in need without regard for race, religion, age, or gender.
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To treat each individual with dignity, respect, friendliness, and
kindness to help build self esteem and enable guests to have a better
quality of life.
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To provide resources and information that directs our guests to other
resources in the community.
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To provide a setting for a Holiday Dinner where people who would
otherwise be alone can come and feel they are parts of our large and
caring family.
The mission of Potluck in the Park is to
nourish and enrich the lives of individuals in need by providing
nutritious food and useful social contacts. We accomplish this through
an organization that is community and volunteer based.
Board of Directors
| Peggy Reuler |
Chair |
| Mary Hunger |
Vice Chair |
| Cheri Baber |
Secretary |
| Mylen Shenker |
Treasurer |
Maxine Borcherding
Tammy Carpenter
Anthony Fell
Brook Gutman
Christian Hunger
Augusta Shipsey
David Utzinger
Kreeg Peeples |
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Newsletter |
| Newsletter Editor |
Peggy Reuler |
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Writers |
Hal Bernton
Mary Hunger
Debbie Rankin
Peggy Reuler
David Utzinger |
| Brian Duval |
Graphic Design |
Potluck's Logo Story
Kindhearted Woman Sign
If you are new to Potluck, you may not know the significance of the
smiling cat.In olden days, when hobos were common to the American
experience, they had a shared vocabulary of "hobo signs". Chalked or
scratched on pavements or fence posts in front of houses across the
land, these simple pictures advised those who might follow.
This smiling cat meant, "Kindhearted Woman" - someone who could be
counted upon for friendly work and perhaps a warm meal. In hobo language
it was a high compliment; today it still is.
For Potluck in the Park the cat is the sign of the generous spirit of
all who make the project possible. Thank you one and all!!!
Potluck in the Park has adopted this symbol - it's what we stand for: A
safe haven, rain or shine, serving warm meals to those in need for over
16 years.
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Potluck's Program
Video
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Potluck has been serving a free hot meal to
anyone in need since 1991. Rain or shine, 52 weeks a year, we provide a
hot meal, every Sunday, at
O’Bryant Square in downtown Portland. Three
hundred to four hundred Portlanders do not go hungry on Sunday because
of Potluck in the Park. It is only because of the generosity of
volunteers and donations from people like you that our Potluck community
continues to provide a meal to those in need.
We are an all-volunteer, grass roots, nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)(3)
organization with no paid staff or office location. Our entire $20,000
budget goes directly to the people who need it, people who otherwise
might not receive a meal. We accomplish our mission of providing
nutritious food and an atmosphere of community to anyone in need,
because of you and others like you.
Each of the servers for Potluck in the Park is a volunteer, many of whom
represent area schools, service organizations, or churches. Food donated
by individuals, businesses, organizations and religious institutions of
all faiths is supplemented by donations gathered on a weekly basis from
area grocers, wholesalers, hotels, restaurant owners and caterers. Some
of our community partners include the YWCA, Loaves and Fishes Centers,
The Meals on Wheels People, Volunteers of America, and the
Association
of Catering and Event Professionals (A.C.E.P.)
Holidays are a special time for families. Each Christmas Day, our
Potluck in the Park family serves a full dinner with turkey and all the
trimmings to 800-900 people at the Downtown YWCA. Local musicians,
including Tom Grant, play for our guests. Cell phones are provided so
contact can be made with family and friends. Stockings with goodies are
handed out, and Santa is there for pictures to help create that feeling
of holiday and family for all of our guests.
Annually in the fall, we have an Anniversary Barbeque and Resource Faire
in the South Park Blocks near Portland State University. This year, on
Sept. 16, 2007, we served over 1000 guests, and 12 caring agencies
participated in the Resource Faire. Health and veterinary services and
bike repair were also provided. Live bands performed and a great time
was had by all.
To carry out our mission, Potluck in the Park needs dollars. While much
of our food is donated, additional items must be purchased. Other
operating expenses include funds for dishes and utensils, serving
equipment, maintenance, gas and insurance for the Potluck truck,
cleaning supplies, printing and postage. |
