Lift UP
Our mission is to reduce hunger and improve the lives of low-income residents in Northwest and Downtown Portland.
We operate a culturally responsive, shopping-style pantry in the Goose Hollow neighborhood and deliver diet-tailored food boxes directly to residents in affordable housing communities who are unable to access a pantry or grocery store, usually due to mobility or health condition. We also lead the Coalition to Advance Food Equity (CAFE), a grassroots collaboration addressing root causes of hunger in our community through systems-level change and local legislative advocacy. Our work addresses social determinants of health through food access, education, and community-building programs. Everything we do is rooted in dignity and designed to meet our neighbors where they are with respect, trust, and mutual care.
One of the most common highlights we hear about Preston’s Pantry is the extensive selection of fresh produce. Clara*, a Preston’s Pantry regular, began visiting the pantry in the early stages of her pregnancy with her son. A few months after she began using Lift UP’s services, she was in a car accident that caused a brain injury, preventing her from working. Alongside her own health struggles, members of Clara’s multi-generational household also live with disabilities and medical challenges. The food she receives from Preston’s Pantry significantly eases her household budget, allowing her family to stay housed and cover essential bills despite ongoing health issues. Clara shared that she prefers Preston's Pantry because of our fresh fruits and vegetables, the warm and friendly volunteer team, and our philosophy of abundance, particularly our lack of limits on produce. She credits the fresh, nutritious food from Lift UP with supporting her healing journey and helping her contribute meaningfully to her family, including feeding her growing son.
Another pantry shopper, David*, had to access social services for the first time when he moved to Portland two years ago. After retiring from work as an administrative professional at UCLA Medical Hospital, David moved north to access the holistic healthcare he needed to address compounding health challenges. Now 62 and living on a fixed income, David finds himself in what he calls “the gray zone”—where his income disqualifies him from programs like SNAP, but he still struggles to cover all his needs. Preston’s Pantry has been a lifeline, helping him maintain the restrictive diet recommended by his care providers. The food he receives from Lift UP aligns with his dietary needs, including organic dairy, fruits, and vegetables. He credits nutrition from Lift UP with giving him the strength to pursue physical therapy, which has drastically increased his mobility over the past year. When he is strong enough, he hopes to return to the pantry as a volunteer.
*Client names changes due to confidentiality.
Financials
Programs
Preston's Pantry
Our shopping-style pantry is open to the public three days each week, and is praised for its extensive selection of fresh goods and warm volunteer staff. One operating day is by appointment only for community members who need additional time or assistance shopping, usually due to health condition, language barrier, or caretaking responsibility.
Adopt a Building
Onsite services in nearly 50 affordable housing communities in our service area. Services are tailored to each building, and include some combination of:
Delivered Groceries: Monthly deliveries of 40–50 lbs. of food—including nonperishables, fresh produce, eggs, meat, and dairy for over 500 residents. Roughly half of recipients receive medically or religiously tailored food.
Onsite Pantries: Shelf-stable pantry items are stocked monthly in 30 partner buildings, providing an estimated 200 meals per site for residents facing urgent need. In 2024, we launched pop-up pantries in several of these buildings, bringing produce, proteins, and other fresh foods into residential communities in a market-style distribution.
Supper Club: A unique, multi-session cooking and nutrition education program where residents plan, prepare, and share meals. Supper Club reduces social isolation, builds cooking skills, and fosters meaningful community connections. This is also a space for residents to share culturally meaningful dishes with neighbors, fostering cross-cultural dialogue through the universal language of food.
Resident Advocate (RA) Program: A leadership council of resident volunteers who live in the buildings we serve. These residents facilitate on-site pantries or pop-up markets in their buildings, host community meals, and help connect their neighbors to Lift UP’s other services. The council meets monthly to share program feedback and work on advocacy and community building initiatives.
Volunteering + Events
Volunteer with your TEAM
Bond as a team while helping us feed our neighbors! Harvest produce at our partner farm, sort food donations at our warehouse, or keep our pantry clean and welcoming! Opportunities available for groups of 4 - 15.
Feed Your Community!
Join us in nourishing our neighbors with monthly, weekly, or short-term volunteer opportunities. We are seeking volunteers to help at our pantry in Goose Hollow, deliver groceries to our neighbors in downtown and northwest Portland, and to plant and harvest at our partner farm Verdier on Skyline Blvd.