Volunteers and community members gathered and assembled dry goods for food boxes to bring 160 Native American households holiday meal deliveries. The boxes were then stored at the Columbia Gorge Food Bank.
Volunteers and community members gathered and assembled dry goods for food boxes to bring 160 Native American households holiday meal deliveries. The boxes were then stored at the Columbia Gorge Food Bank.
Volunteers and community members gathered and assembled dry goods for food boxes to bring 160 Native American households holiday meal deliveries. The boxes were then stored at the Columbia Gorge Food Bank.
THE GORGE — “Many Native American community members face challenges when it comes to preparing a holiday meal,” said The Next Door’s Native Supports Program Manager Dawn LeMieux. “Some live in unconventional homes that lack the essential resources to cook a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal for their families. Others living in conventional homes may still be getting used to them, may not have the capacity to reheat a meal or stand in the kitchen to prepare one, or haven’t learned how to yet."
More than half of the households living in unconventional homes are in areas that are very hard to locate, leaving Native American outreach teams to organize deliveries or directly support community programs that have previously held community meals. This holiday season, The Next Door Inc.’s (TNDI) Native Supports team has been joined by community partners, Gorge Native American Collaborative (GNAC) and Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), to bring comfort and joy to Native American community members in the Mid-Columbia region.
Following months of planning and outreach, the joint force, along with various community organizations and businesses, signed up 160 Native American households for holiday meal deliveries. Native American community members were given their choice of individual, precooked meals or food boxes. Individual meals, prepared and packaged by a meal delivery service in Hood River called Local Rhoots, included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Food boxes contained uncooked dry goods and a 16-18 pound frozen turkey. Each family also received a 16-inch pumpkin, berry, or apple pie to go along with their dinners.
Volunteers and community members gathered and assembled dry goods for food boxes to bring 160 Native American households holiday meal deliveries. The boxes were then stored at the Columbia Gorge Food Bank.
Contributed photo
In total, the Native Supports team and its partners went door-to-door from Cascade Locks and Fort Rains to Celilo Village and Gorgeville (Goldendale area), and Glenwood, hand-delivering 450 individual precooked meals and 133 uncooked food boxes.
“Having Native American community volunteers and partners support Native American community members in a variety of wrap-around services is something that I did not imagine five years ago when I first started at The Next Door,” said LeMieux. “I share in the gratitude with Native American community members for the supportive services and partnerships that have grown.”
The Native Supports team delivered holiday meals alongside our partners and volunteers once more this year on Dec. 21, just in time for Christmas.
The Next Door, Inc. is a community-based social service organization with offices in The Dalles and Hood River serving 3,500 people annually in a seven-county region. Next Door has nearly 100 employees facilitating more than 35 programs, all working towards its mission.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.