By Mark Pavlicek, Newsletter Editor
February 8, 2023
Even as the news continues to focus on the terrible things happening in the world, there is one thing that brings hope to our community. Since 1973 Clackamas Service Center has been a low barrier center for low- and no-income families and individuals in southeast Portland and Clackamas County. They offer food, cooked meals, mail service, clothing, health services and assistance with housing and accessing benefit programs, and they have always done this in a hope and a prayer! Now for the first time they have a warehouse where people can come to pick up food, although deliveries are also available for those without transportation.
In January a small group from Kairos-Milwaukie UCC got a tour of the8,000-sq. ft. “Food Hub” where there is space to do even more, and it is amazing how much they accomplish, even as the warehouse is needing more shelving and refrigeration units, a forklift and other equipment and of course, volunteers. CSC partners with many other organizations, providing food and other resources to church groups, food pantries, refugee support groups, school programs and warming shelters.
They do all this through grants and donations, and we have supported them from the time they opened, collecting food and clothing and occasional donations of money. It is very uplifting to see how far our offerings can go when we give to Clackamas Service Center.