Woodburn Community Meal seeks more partnerships as the event heads toward its sixth year
As the Wednesday evening Woodburn Free Community Meal heads toward its sixth year, organizers continue to welcome partnerships to maintain the program.
The meal, which began on Feb. 6, 2016, shifted protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic, changing from a dinning room format to a grab-and-go one. That shift actually catapulted the service from 100 weekly meals to more than 400. The cost to meet this demand generally runs between $500 to $600 per week.
To meet the growth and demand, organizers expanded partnerships within the community. Partners include Pan de Vida Church, Hubbard LDS Ward, Ali Swanson of ‘Neighbors Serving Under Sheltered Neighbors’ and Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Other contributing organizations include Marion County Environmental Waste Reduction, Country Cottage, Habaneros Restaurant, Mike’s Pizza and Chick-fil-A, while financial partners include Woodburn Eagles, Legacy Financial, EXP Realty, Thrivent Financial of Keizer, Woodburn United Methodist Church, Hubbard LDS Ward, Immanuel Lutheran Church and many other with individual contributions.
Organizers recently issued a statement through the Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce noting that as they close out 2021 and plan for 2022, they are inviting more partners.
“Whether you’d like to volunteer or financially partner, we’d love to have you join our team,” the note read. “All contributions are tax deductible though a 501(c)3.”
For information, visit www.woodburnchurch.org or the community meal’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WoodburnCommunityMeal.
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