THE GORGE — The Great Gorge Melt is back for the third year, and it’s even bigger than before. This year, it’s expanded from just grilled cheese to any melty cheesy item. At the 26 participating restaurants spread from Tygh Valley to Cascade Locks, a portion of the sales for this special during March will be donated to the Columbia Gorge Food Bank (CGFB). The fundraiser began when Leah Hall, Community Philanthropy Manager at the food bank, inspired by similar programs in the state, brought her restaurant background to connect the food bank with local restaurants and reach different demographics in the slower shoulder season.
“It’s accessible for diners to go out to restaurants and support them, and also it’s a low barrier for restaurants where they can feature an item that doesn’t have to be like the fanciest, highest price thing, but they can have a little bit of fun too. I just really love how it’s full circle,” said Hall. “It’s a win-win.” The first year this program ran 10 restaurants participated, last year there were 14, and this year there are 26. “It’s really neat to see it grow,” Hall said.
In 2025, The Columbia Gorge Food Bank moved 1,241,332 pounds of food through their public pantry network across Wasco, Hood River, South Wasco and Sherman counties, which received 29,000 household visits. The Gorge faces some unique challenges for those facing food shortages due to the rural area, lack of transportation, and higher costs. Since there are many fixed cost bills like rent and utilities, food is one of the most flexible budget items, explained Hall, that means sometimes there’s not enough money left in paycheck for food. This is why the CGFB is such a necessity for so many people in the region. In many cases, people rely on food pantries to supplement their income.
For those interested in learning more about how they can get involved with CGFB, subscribe to their quarterly newsletter, on their social media, where they highlight behind the scenes of their warehouse crew which shows the scale of their operation. They are also always looking for volunteers to make sure the food bank stays a “strong resource in the community,” said Hall.
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