“Because no one should be hungry”
A Little History…
In 2010 Our Redeemer Lutheran Church decided to see how we could support community needs by offering the use of our property. During that time Our Redeemer merged with Asbury Methodist Church and eventually chose the name Spirit of Grace to reflect our Lutheran/Methodist partnership.
After discussions with FISH Food Bank and The Next Door we decided that the FISH Food Bank was the best partnership to pursue. Over the next 4 years we worked with FISH to design, fundraise and build the FISH Food Bank which we lease to FISH for $1/year. The community meeting room is managed by both Spirit of Grace and FISH.
FISH stands for.
Friendly, Instant, Sympathetic Help
Their Mission.
The FISH Food Bank mission is to help alleviate hunger by distributing food regularly and on an emergency basis, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation and in a friendly, instant, sympathetic, helpful, nonjudgmental and confidential manner.
The Story: Working Towards a Better Tomorrow
The FISH Food Bank of Hood River was established in 1969 after a group of concerned citizens recognized that some of their neighbors, and others passing through the town, needed food, clothing, and other assistance.
Today, FISH is a 501(C)(3) organization providing emergency food + personal hygiene supplies, etc once per month to those in Hood River County and Mosier at their 3 locations: Hood River, Cascade Locks, and Parkdale.
We are a partner agency of the Oregon Food Bank. Donations made to FISH help us purchase food supplies from the Oregon Food Bank, which acquires food through donations from the food industry, individuals, local institutions and national partners of Feeding America, as well as federal allocations of USDA commodities.
FISH DEI Statement.
Food is an human right and everyone deserves to have nutritious, culturally desirable food. We affirm the worth and dignity of all people and serve our communities with respect and strive to move closer towards food security.
Community Giving.
We distribute fresh produce grown in the garden behind our facility and benefit from the generous donations of local orchardists and farmers, who supply apples, pears, peaches, cherries, walnuts blueberries, and other fresh food. Businesses and schools organize food drives to help as well.
The Volunteers.
FISH Food Bank is a volunteer-based program, with about 550 different volunteers helping each year at the three different FISH Food Bank Sites.
Without dedicated volunteers, FISH would not be able to be what it is today…or even exist at all. The gratitude FISH has for this incredibly generous community is truly beyond words.
