Mission Statement |
"To provide emergency food and clothing relief year-round to Portland families and individuals in need."
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History
In the wake of the great depression the city of Portland was forced to lay off forty police officers in 1922. Mayor George Baker enlisted the help of volunteer civilians to aid in emergency situations. The group of civilians were eventually called the Portland Police Reserves. The reserves responded to widespread poverty by collecting food for Christmas baskets which were delivered to Portlanders in need. The group was eventually dubbed "George Baker's Sunshine Boys" and eventually The Sunshine Division. By 1923 both uniformed police officers and the volunteers were collecting and delivering food to portlanders in need. |
What is the sunshine Division? Still in partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, Sunshine Division is now an independent 501(C)(3) non profit agency. Through their various programs Sunshine Division provides food and clothing items for those in need. They rely solely on donations to fund the collection and distribution of food and clothing through the various programs that they offer. The Sunshine Division warehouse serves over 15,600 households a year.
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Programs:
Eligibility for services
To receive services one must live in the City of the Portland and one of the following must apply: (1) Have someone 18 years old or under who is dependent upon them in their household, (2) receive Social Security/Disability income, (3) receive Veterans/Widowed Veterans Pension, (4) be over the age of 70.
Social Context
- According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on January 28, 2015, 3,801 met the definition of homelessness within Portland, Multnomah County and Gresham (https://www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/article/532833).
- Within Multnomah county approximately one-third of households fall below the self-sufficiency line in 2014, meaning they are unable to meet their basic needs (https://multco.us/file/34343/download).
Sunshine Division addresses larger systemic issues of poverty, homelessness, and hunger by providing free resources. It also addresses the stigma surrounding individuals and households who experience the struggle of poverty on a daily basis. Sunshine Division does this by humanizing the experience of receiving free goods by providing an actual “shopping” experience. The organization gives the opportunity for furthering autonomous choices for individuals and households who may have limited choices within their lives.
Why I chose to partner with Sunshine DIVISION
We live in a culture where basic human necessities like food, clothing, and shelter are not available to everyone and I strongly believe that all people have the right to basic human necessities. Sunshine Division is making an impactful difference in people's daily lives.
For a more personal narrative of what led me to this partnership please see the below essay:
For a more personal narrative of what led me to this partnership please see the below essay:
My Duties and responsibilities
I volunteer within the food pantry at the Sunshine Division warehouse. My duties and responsibilities include assisting shoppers by helping them navigate the shopping experience. It is of the utmost importance to utilize friendly and respectful communication. I am also available for any help or questions that the shoppers may have. Once the shopper is finished selecting their groceries, I then weigh the cart, fill out some paper work, and the customer is on their way. I am also responsible for stocking and tidying the shelves when necessary.
SUNSHINE Division's Unmet Needs and my Plan of Action
Sunshine Division is in constant need of volunteers for both the food pantry and the clothing room. Without volunteers the organization would not be able to provide basic necessities for free.
In order to fulfill these unmet needs I plan to:
- Continue offering my time and energy
In order to achieve these goals, I have volunteered every Friday morning for a period of three to four hours. This allowed for stocking and tidying the shelves before the first the clients arrive. By organizing the shelves like a grocery store this furthers autonomous decisions for The Sunshine Division's clients as well as providing a stigma free shopping experience. Once the doors are open to the clients I am in direct interaction with them. I have strived to provide courteous and thoughtful communication, as well as provide help when it is needed. In my personal life I have had many opportunities to tell both long time friends and people I have just met about the programs provided by Sunshine Division as well as discuss the inherent issues surrounding homelessness and poverty.
In order to fulfill these unmet needs I plan to:
- Continue offering my time and energy
- I truly believe that it is my social responsibility to lend my time for this cause. As I have mentioned before, all people deserve the right to their basic human needs. I believe that this Sunshine Division is a means of providing hunger relief, and I am grateful to be a part of that.
- The larger issue of poverty and homelessness are often discussed in Portland. However, at times on the individual level, those who are experiencing poverty and hunger are ignored, judged, and faced with social stigma within our culture. By providing a friendly, nonjudgmental, and courteous communication, this furthers a humanizing experience.
- I am proud to be working with Sunshine Division. I tell everyone I meet about the programs available. This allows for further discussion not only about resources available for those in need, but also for the larger inherent issues surrounding poverty and homelessness. These larger systemic issues need to be addressed through a regularly occurring discourse, otherwise large scale change will not occur.
In order to achieve these goals, I have volunteered every Friday morning for a period of three to four hours. This allowed for stocking and tidying the shelves before the first the clients arrive. By organizing the shelves like a grocery store this furthers autonomous decisions for The Sunshine Division's clients as well as providing a stigma free shopping experience. Once the doors are open to the clients I am in direct interaction with them. I have strived to provide courteous and thoughtful communication, as well as provide help when it is needed. In my personal life I have had many opportunities to tell both long time friends and people I have just met about the programs provided by Sunshine Division as well as discuss the inherent issues surrounding homelessness and poverty.
Reflection
As of now, in my ten weeks of volunteering at Sunshine Division, I can not even begin to express how rewarding the experience has been for me. I truly feel like Sunshine Division is aiding in making a difference in people's lives and I have the pleasure of being a part of that. I have encountered people of a wide diverse background from all over the world. While it is not my place to ask personal questions about people's lives and experiences, on a few occasions people have voluntarily told me their story. I am completely grateful when that happens, for it helps me to further understand and empathize with their situation. The stories are sometimes sorrowful and tragic and other times they are hopeful and uplifting. Either way, I am always happy to take the time and listen to an individuals' story, for it deserves to be heard. It is important to me to treat all people as visible important members within our society. I have always empathized with people who have fallen on difficult times. I feel that the experience has provided me with a new outlook on the issues of hunger and poverty. I now have the experience of regularly interacting with people who deal with poverty and hunger on a daily basis. The one thing I would like to improve on are my Spanish skills, at times there have been miscommunications due to a language barrier. However, that is only one small problem within a largely positive experience.
All images used on this site courtesy of sunshinedivision.org