February 16, 2011
The
Portland Observer Black
History Month
Page 9
Better on the Environment Meals-On-Wheels
switches to
compostable bamboo trays
Portland ’ s Loaves & Fishes Cen­
ters is the first Meals-On-Wheels
operation in the country to adopt
the daily use of compostable bam­
boo trays for its meals.
Manufactured by Bamboo Eco-
Enterprises in Clackamas, the black
three-compartment trays were manu­
factured specifically for Loaves &
Fishes Centers to meet the specifi­
cations of existing equipment lo­
cated in their central kitchen.
____
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T m n * * ‘7
hOt
p h
i d 2'.7°2 medi S Se",‘ ° Ut
each weekday to homebound se-
______
________
L° aVeS & Fishes Centers is
first M e a z Io n -lV h e e /s o ^ to n
the count,y t0 ad°P{ the daily use o f compostable bamboo
trays for its meats.
uuamooo
northby
northeast
niors throughout the greater metro­
politan area.
Loaves & Fishes Centers used
Styrofoam trays for its meals for
more than 30 years and switched to
a recyclable tray a few years ago.
“We knew we needed to get away
from a polystyrene product, but until
recently, there was not another prod­
uct on the market that held heat as
well and was cost-effective,” said
Food Services Manager Tom Maier.
“The recyclable tray we used for
a few years was very expensive
and the seniors did not recycle
them. This new com postable tray
is cost effective, better on the
environm ent and is more visually
appealing than the trays we were
using previously.”
Each compostable tray costs 17.6
cents per unit, compared to 14 cents
a unit for Styrofoam and 24 cents a
unit for the recyclable tray.
Maier estimates that the bamboo
tray will save the nonprofit organi­
zation up to $39,000 a year in pack­
aging costs.
Celebrating diversity
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
•
We celebrate and honor
Portland’s Black History
Health happens here! North by Northeast Community
Health Center provides high quality health care to
uninsured neighborhood adults with diabetes and
high blood pressure. Thanks to all the volunteers and
supporters who have allowed us to provide over four
years of service to the community. And, most of all,
thank you to our patients for putting your trust in us.
'■
■’
At TriMet, we understand the value of
roadmaps for getting people where
they need to be. Our goal is to have
our workforce mirror the diversity of
the Portland metropolitan area. The
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
program has become a national model for
encouraging and supporting businesses
owned by people of color and women
when competing for contracts on TriMet
transit projects.
A public transit system used by all must
benefit all.
Visit trimet.org/dbe
t r i © met
3030 NE Martin Luther King. Jr. Blvd. | Portland Oregon 97212
See w h e re i t ta ke s y o u .
503-287-4932 | nxneclinic.org
Your life experiences, com passion, hum or and safe
hom e can help a teen in foster care and positively
im pact our com m unity. Call Boys & Girls Aid today
to learn m ore ab o u t th e rew ards of foster parenting
503-542-2323 or visit boysandgirlsaid.org
Boys & Girls Aid
t
24/7 support, generous
reimbursement, and
comprehensive training
available for all foster
parents.