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Disaster Response Fires

ACS Responds to Oregon and California Fires

ACS Disaster Response Teams are assisting with the Recovery Efforts in response to the deadly wildfires in California that have burned more than 3 million acres of land, and the most recent Pacific Northwest fires that have destroyed hundreds of homes in Oregon. Through the leadership of the Pacific Union Conference and Central California Conference and in collaboration with Fresno County, a campground has been secured to offer temporary shelter for evacuees. Almost 1,500 people have been put up in ACS DR trailers, cabins, and RVs that are being utilized to house those who have been affected. In addition, we were also able to provide Emotional & Spiritual Care training on the campground to those who were interested.

The Oregon ACS Disaster Team is currently on the ground providing assistance to those who have been affected. The Oregon Conference has opened up their Gladstone Park campground to evacuees in RVs. Volunteers are guiding community members into the evacuation spaces. Andy Villanueva, Oregon Conference Disaster Response Director said, “You can see the relief come over people.”

With countless fires ranging around California, the Northwest, and Oregon, let us continue to keep those who are affected and the first responders in prayer during these trying times.

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Uncategorized

PACS and Other Portland Food Pantries Adapt to Extraordinary Demand

‘We are experiencing what may be a hundred-year flood of hunger,’ says Oregon Food Bank’s CEO

Although many Oregon businesses have reopened and unemployment numbers have declined, local food pantries remain busier than ever.

The first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic in March were filled with uncertainty. Pantries initially asked their customers to stay home while they rushed to figure out how to distribute goods with safe social distancing practices.

Five months later, the Oregon Food Bank reported about 100 pantries had closed statewide, out of 1,400. The sites that closed were primarily senior services centers that innately created high-risk environments, but the remaining pantries have thrived despite the new safety challenges and upswing in visitors.

“It’s been a great testament of teamwork,” said Ashley Mumm, Public Relations Manager of the Oregon Food Bank. “It’s just amazing that we have not heard of anybody turned away because there wasn’t enough food, except in one instance. We estimate that we will serve (more than) 1 million people this year, when in years prior, we were serving 860,000.”

In August, the state’s Department of Environmental Quality awarded the Oregon Food Bank a $140,000 grant to be used for transporting and processing excess food from West Coast growers. Due to the pandemic, much of the produce that would typically go to restaurants was headed for landfills. With the grant, however, 2 million pounds of fresh produce will be rerouted through food pantries instead.

“We are experiencing what may be a hundred-year flood of hunger — certainly the greatest food insecurity in at least a generation,” Oregon Food Bank CEO Susannah Morgan said upon receiving the grant.

Street Roots visited three Portland-based food pantries to see how they’ve adapted their operations in light of the pandemic.

   

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COVID-19 Local Church

Newport Sewing Projects

Becky Anderson in photos of Newport sewing projects.

Newport SDA Church’s former ACS thrift store in Newport, Washington, is currently being utilized as a sleep/rest area by the staff of the Newport hospital responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the request of a local member, the church pastor’s wife Becky Anderson has been coordinating the sewing of special masks and fabric gowns for health workers to wear over the limited supply of plastic PPE. Both the masks and gowns can be washed and reused. Over 100 masks and 50 gowns have been requested. Becky is also involved with the making of a plastic disposable prototype of a Gown for the health workers to wear. All three of these items were enthusiastically received by the COVID-19 incident commander at the Newport hospital. Becky has around 25 dedicated workers taking part in these sewing projects.