Carpenters Food Bank
donations near all-time low
Cash donations to the Carpenters
Food Bank are at an all-time low,
while distribution is reaching record
levels, reports Mike Fahey, who coor-
dinates the operation with his wife
Sandy.
Fahey is a retired executive secre-
tary-treasurer of the Portland Metal
Trades Council who helped start the
food bank in 1983 to assist out-of-
work and striking union members
from the Carpenters and Steelworkers
unions. At the time, Fahey was a
leader of Pile Drivers, Divers and
Shipwrights Local 2416.
“I’ve heard that a lot of people
think we shut down after the big Car-
penters merger,” said Fahey, referring
to the merger of 15 locals in January
2011. “That’s not the case. We’re still
open.”
Fahey said the food bank, which is
open to the public, distributes 700
food boxes a month. In the past, distri-
Broadway Floral
bution levels have ranged from 450 to
600 boxes a month.
Food boxes are handed out the
third Friday each month from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. (people start lining up as
early as 5 a.m.) at the union building
on the corner of North Lombard
Street and Brandon Avenue. The
building was owned by Carpenters
Local 247 prior to the merger. Col-
lected food is stored in the basement.
And though it is an all-volunteer
operation and the space is donated, it
costs money to buy the food from the
Oregon Food Bank, and it takes gas to
get it.
With the holiday season rapidly ap-
proaching and the economy still strug-
gling, the food bank is bracing for a
very busy November and December,
“Even at bulk rate prices, food items
are becoming more and more expen-
sive,” Fahey said.
Cash donations to help buy food
can be sent to:
Food Bank
P.O. Box 17358
Portland, OR 97217
for the BEST flowers call
503-288-5537
1638 NE Broadway, Portland
PAGE 8
For more information about the Car-
penters Food Bank, call Fahey at 503-
970-2482.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
OCTOBER 19, 2012