_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
Food Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10am-2pm
Clothing Hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-1:30pm
Upcoming holiday closures:
Closed for Christmas Day - Monday 12/25/23
Reopening on Tuesday 12/26/23
6535 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
PO Box 66336 Portland, OR 97290
(503) 775-6784
NEWS UPDATES
 |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Upcoming holiday closures:
Closed for Christmas Day - Monday 12/25/23
Reopening on Tuesday 12/26/23
November 8th, 2023
Dear Francis Center Friends,
The rain and cooler weather have arrived. It's that time of year when we are in need of warm clothing to share with our neighbors. We need men's and women's coats, shoes, boots and other cold weather gear. We especially need men's shoes in sizes 9-11. We have already received generous clothing donations from Cherrywood Village Retirement Center, St Henry's Catholic Church in Gresham and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Portland. Much thanks to all those who have donated to our mission.
As a note of caution, 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 are 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.
The Link2Feed intake system began in May and is working well. Link2Feed helps us speed up our intake process for both food and clothing. And it helps us keep accurate records of the people we serve for our friends at the Oregon Food Bank.
This fall we are averaging over 600 households (1600 people) served per month with food and clothing. On average , we have distributed over 20,000 lbs of food per month this fall. Our 65 volunteers give about 1200 hours of service per month to making this happen. Many thanks to our all volunteer family!
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.
If you want peace, work for justice!
Pope Paul VI
Rudy Grigar
Francis Center Director