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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. Our focus is on the vulnerable - serving the needy no matter their age, race, religion or sexual orientation.
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 roll 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:
Memorial Day - Monday 5/29/23 reopening on Tuesday 5/30.
6535 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
PO Box 66336 Portland, OR 97290
(503) 775-6784
NEWS UPDATES
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A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
May 10, 2023
Upcoming holiday closures:
Memorial Day - Monday 5/29/23 reopening on Tuesday 5/30.
Dear Francis Center Friends,
Spring has finally arrived in Portland. We will get our first taste of 70-degree weather this week! Many thanks to several of our volunteers who have been busy pruning, weeding and planting around the Francis Center. It really spruces up the neighborhood. St. Francis would be proud of the way we are caring for Mother Earth and our community.
The numbers of people we serve continue to rise. It has put quite the strain on our volunteers and food resouces. So in an effort to mitigate the situation and with the pandemic subsiding, we will be returning to our original service areas. The zip codes that we serve in SE Portland are 97215, 97216, 97206 and 97266. These zip codes are part of our original charter and are also listed with the Oregon Food Bank. We will roll out implementation throughout the spring and summer. However, know that we will continue to serve ALL those people the best we can who come to our door no matter where they live.
In mid-May the Francis Center will be embarking on a new intake process called Link2Feed. The new computer system is set up and ready to go. Emily Goldberg from the Oregon Food Bank has been instrumental in getting our volunteers trained and has given us a tremndous amount of support. Link2Feed will help us speed up our intake process and keep accurate records of the people we serve in our community. Many food banks throughout Oregon and the nation use Link2Feed.
Thanks to a Rapid Response Grant from the Oregon Food Bank, our new pavilion project has finally been completed. A small awning and side curtains were added to the pavilion to help keep our guests and volunteers out of the weather. Thank you OFB!
In March we served 719 households totaling 1857 persons with food and clothing. That represents a 16% increase over our February which continues to be the overall trend. Clearly the needs of the community are evident.
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 who come to our door.
Where there is a heart full of mercy and discernment, there is nether excess nor hardness of heart.
St. Francis of Assisi
Rudy Grigar
Francis Center Director