_edited_edited_edited.jpg)
THE FRANCIS CENTER WELCOMES YOU
OUR MISSION
Find help from the Francis Center
The Francis Center is a non-profit food and clothing pantry started by Catholic Franciscan priests over 50 years ago. In the spirit of St. Francis, we strive to feed and clothe the most vulnerable in our society.
Today the lay volunteers that work at the Francis Center are from all faiths. We supply food boxes, clothing, toiletries and household goods to the community in East Multnomah County.Whether it be homelessness, health issues, unemployment, underemployment or immigration issues, the Francis Center is there to help disadvantaged residents break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-other-fns-programs
KEY PEOPLE
RUDY GRIGAR
Director
Rudy joined the Francis Center in 2016 helping in the food room. With help from Don Gainer, Rudy was called to step into the role as director in November 2021. He is committed to continuing the mission of the Francis Center as a place to serve hope to the most vulnerable in SE Portland.
OUR SERVICES
We serve zip codes 97266, 97206, 97215, 97216.
FOOD PANTRY
Food boxes are available to east county residents Monday thru Thursday from 10am -2pm. Typically we provide canned goods, rice, pastas, flour, bread, beans, oatmeal, cereal, milk, yogurt, cheese, various meats (chicken, pork, beef and fish) plus an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our grocery boxes are nutritionally dense and hit all the major food groups.
We politely request that visits are limited to once per month. If you are houseless we will serve you once per week.
CLOTHING
Clothes are available to east county residents Monday thru Thursday from 10am - 1:30pm. Volunteers organize and display clothing for men, women and children so clients can easily browse our selection. Typically we have coats, shirts, dresses, pants, shorts, underwear, socks, shoes, hats and belts. We also have toiletries, blankets and other miscellaneous household items available. We politely request that visits be limited to once per month for clothing.
*Covid-19 update: Due to the pandemic, clothing is only being offered as requested by our clients. Browsing inside our facility is not allowed. Upon request, we will fill your clothing needs and hand them out to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.
VOLUNTEER
If you want to donate or volunteer, please give us a call during business hours.
FOOD DONATIONS
We accept food donations from the Oregon Food Bank, USDA, Franz Bread, Dave's Killer Bread and private parties.
CLOTHING DONATIONS
We accept clothing primarily from private donations. We request clothing be donated in clean and good condition.
Clothing donations are accepted between 11am - 1 pm.
CASH DONATIONS
We accept cash donations primarily in the form of cash or checks. Make checks payable to Francis Center PO Box 66336 Portland, OR 97290. We are moving toward accepting electronic funds via credit cards, PayPal, etc.
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering is always welcome at the Francis Center. Help in all areas is needed. We currently have 45 volunteers that help serve the community. Contact us by phone or email for an interview.
VISIT THE FRANCIS CENTER
Weather related closures:
The Francis Center will close when the weather becomes severe.
Our general rule is to follow the Portland Public School closures.
6535 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
PO Box 66336 Portland, OR 97290
(503) 775-6784
_edited.png)
NEWS UPDATES
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Weather related closures:
The Francis Center will close when the weather becomes severe.
Our general rule is to follow the Portland Public School closures.
January 17, 2024
Dear Francis Center Friends,
Happy New Year! The new year has brought us snow, ice, wind and frigid temperatures. It has left thousands of residents in the Portland area without power, heat, water and shelter. Our hearts go out to all of our neighbors that live on the margins. This is a good time to remind everyone that there are warming shelters scattered across Portland. You can access the warming shelter locations at ...
https://multco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ea68a290e47143a3b27ae716fa883ae0
Generally the Francis Center will follow the Portland Public School closures during severe weather. Signs will be posted at the Francis Center when we are closed.
Along with our severe weather, there will be on-going road construction in front of the Francis Center along SE 82nd Ave (OR 213) through the summer of 2025. This could interrupt our ability to remain open if our street or sidewalks are under construction. We will do our best to safely stay open during this time.
We continue to offer services to all residents who live in zip codes 97215, 97216, 97206 and 97266. This service area is a part of our original charter and is also listed with the Oregon Food Bank. But please know that we will continue to serve ALL people the best we can who come to our door.
Miracles abounded in 2023. We received many gifts of charity that kept the center humming throughout the year. Ascension Catholic Church has been one of those sources of support. Their on-going donations of funds, clothing and meeting space have kept the Francis Center viable. We are so grateful for Ascension's partnership.
In 2023 we served a record number of families with food and clothing.
In December the Francis Center provided food to 575 families for a total of 1678 people. And approximately 200 individuals were provided clothing, blankets and toiletries. In 2023 overall, we served 9000 families for a total of 20,000 individuals with food and clothing. Many thanks to our all volunteer team!
As a reminder, we have a wide assortment of clothing for adults and children. We also have toiletry items, Covid tests and facemasks. When visiting the Francis Center, please feel free to request anything needed, and we will do our best to help. With the grace of God we continue to serve those in our SE Portland community.
“God loves us. May we discover the beauty of loving and being loved.”
Pope Francis
Rudy Grigar
Francis Center Director
