Education at OHSU

Education at OHSU

Food Resource Center

Image of FRC staff in the food resource space

The Food Resource Center (FRC) provides free grocery staples, fresh produce, and hygiene items to OHSU students in the Portland area. Our overall goals are: 

  • To increase access to no-cost, nutritious food on campus by providing fresh, frozen, and packaged foods, sourced locally and grown sustainably when possible. 
  • To offer access to food-related and financial information and referral services for those in need. 
  • To educate in the areas of food safety, nutrition, cooking, and preserving food. 

Watch this video to find out more about what we do!

Welcome! The FRC provides no-cost, nutritious foods to OHSU students at the Portland campus. Students based at regional campuses can find out about local food support here, or come by when they are in Portland. There are 2 ways for students to select items:

  1. Online order and pick up at the Student Center. Place your online order for shelf-stable items to be picked up at the Student Center (722 SW Campus Drive, M-F 8 a.m.-8 p.m.) through our online order system. A South Waterfront pick up continues to be on pause while we search for a location that is accessible to all OHSU students. If you have any questions, please email food@ohsu.edu.
  2. "Shopping Hours" - come to the FRC at OHSU's Student Center to select items from the FRC's shelves. Shopping hours for the fall term are:

    • Mondays 3-7 p.m.

    • Wednesdays 3-7 p.m.

    • Fridays 3-7 p.m.

Items at the Food Resource Center include shelf-stable, refrigerated, and/or frozen options. OHSU students can self-select the items that they think would be most beneficial based on their personal preferences and safely pick up the items in a quick and convenient way.

If you would like to know more, please email food@ohsu.edu.

Ways to volunteer

Volunteers are critical to FRC operations, and volunteering can be a great way to connect with others at OHSU while helping mitigate food insecurity on campus.  We welcome your support!

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities, and we welcome your ideas as well. Some current needs include:

  • Assembling online orders based on student requests (1-2 hour shifts)
  • Staffing FRC Shopping Hours at the Student Center (2-hour shifts)
  • Helping with administrative tasks (writing thank you notes to donors, etc.)
  • Helping sort donations (90 mins - 2 hr)
  • Helping with outreach to students about the FRC and other food resources from Student Health and Wellness

If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to us at food@ohsu.edu.

Before handling food, volunteers will need to get ServSafe certified by the Oregon Food Bank and watch the food safety video.

Donations

There are two ways to make financial donations to the Food Resource Center:

Donating by debit or credit card? Click here to make a donation from your card on a secure site.

Donating through OHSU employee payroll deduction? Go to the OHSU O2 Employee Giving Site at o2.ohsu.edu/foundations/employee-giving, select ‘Payroll Deduction’ below ‘Ways To Give’ at the top right, follow the log-in options to proceed to ‘Giving Opportunities’, add ‘Food Resource Center at OHSU’.

Donating food or equipment? Please email food@ohsu.edu to inquire about donating food or equipment. Please also refer to our current Amazon Wish List to order things we currently need.

*Sadly, we cannot accept any temperature-sensitive food donations at this time.

Who can access the Food Resource Center @ OHSU?

The Food Resource Center (FRC) currently serves OHSU students in the Portland area. This includes OHSU students in online programs as well as those based on campuses outside of Portland who are traveling into the Portland area. 
You can visit and use the FRC resource as often as you need to. There are no requirements related to income or proof of financial hardship. We trust that OHSU students understand their own personal and family needs and look forward to serving all who come to our door in the most understanding and empathetic manner, recognizing the dignity in each person.

If you are an OHSU employee, post-doctoral fellow, or medical resident in need of food resources, please contact Kaely Summers at summerka@ohsu.edu.

Why is this important?

Food insecurity has been an ongoing issue nationally. According to the Oregon Food Bank, one in seven Oregonians are without access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. These numbers are one in four among OHSU students, according to a 2018 food insecurity survey on campus. These concerns have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Food insecurity can happen for a variety of reasons, and long term it can have serious effects on people's health. The Food Resource Center will be there for the OHSU learner's community to help ensure that meeting basic needs won't get in the way of our student's success.

How can I help?

There are many ways you can help:

  • Spread the word to OHSU students about the Food Resource Center.  Email us at food@ohsu.edu to express interest in this, and we can help with outreach materials.
  • Volunteer: Email us at food@ohsu.edu to be added to the volunteer list. Volunteer activities include things such as staffing our shopping hours, helping sort through donated food, and/or participating in special projects.
  • Donate to help support food and other operational costs, or spread the word to others who may be interested in donating

How do I donate and what are the funds helping with?

All donations are very appreciated!  There are three methods to donate:

Donating by card

Visit our Foundation website and make a donation from your card

Donating by payroll

Go to the OHSU O2 Employee Giving Site

Select 'Payroll Deduction' below 'Ways To Give' at the top right ″Follow the log-in options to proceed to 'Giving Opportunities

Add 'Food Resource Center at OHSU'

Donating food

We always will take donated food from individuals. You're welcome to drop any unopened food to the Food Resource Center between 8 am-8 pm Monday through Friday. If someone is not present in the Food Resource Center, please leave your donation on the black counter. We also keep an Amazon Wishlist that you can refer to if you'd like to purchase foods we are specifically looking for.

The funds will help with purchasing fresh, frozen, and packaged foods as well as operational needs.

Where is the FRC located?

The FRC is located in the Student Center on OHSU's Marquam Hill campus.

Where do you source the food?

What we source: The Food Resource Center sources all different types of food that nourish OHSU students. We focus on fresh and nutrient-dense foods and making sure students have plenty of choices when shopping or ordering online. We strive to meet a variety of cultural, religions, and dietary needs through the foods we source, and we center the student voice when deciding what goes on our shelves. 

How we source: We create partnerships within the community to share, purchase, and receive donated food and non-foods to stock the shelves at the Food Resource Center. Through these partnerships, we eliminate food waste and increase the variety of food coming to the Food Resource Center. Some of our previous and current partners include Oregon Food Bank, Feed the Mass, Meals on Wheels, P:ear, Outside In, REED University, Safeway, Whole Foods, OHSU Dining Services, Cost Plus World Market, Stone Soup, Shriner's Children's Hospital, Neighborhood Hours, LiftUp, Wichita Community Center, William Temple House, and Mora Mora Farm.  

  • Each of our partners increases the value of the Food Resource Center and provides different ways for us to engage with the local food system. For example, some of our partners help us eliminate food waste and reclaim delicious food that would otherwise end up in landfill (Safeway and Whole Foods). Other partners help us come together in the community to share in large qualities of food that we could not otherwise distribute by ourselves (Feed the Mass and LiftUp). Finally, some partners provide local, organic products that help us better understand the impacts of local agriculture on the community and the importance of participating in local food procurement(Mora Mora Farm). 

Why we source: We source the food at the Food Resource Center to increase access to no-cost, nourishing foods on campus. We source from various partners to ensure that we can maintain enough food, so that all are served equally when shopping or ordering online. We source locally when we can, acknowledging that we are part of a greater food system, and supporting local agriculture and food producers makes our community stronger.

What kind of food is available?

The FRC offers a variety of fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable foods. The exact stock varies based on the availability of our supplies. In general, we aim to stock grains and legumes (rice, beans, flour, tortillas, cereal), meats (canned and frozen), fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, dairy and dairy alternatives, and eggs. We also often have condiments, spices, snack foods, and drinks available.

Welcoming students from diverse cultural backgrounds is important to us, and we also keep a regular supply of cultural staples.

Additionally, we stock items for special dietary needs, including gluten-free, plant-based, and diabetes-friendly items.

Generous donations have allowed us to offer free hygiene items as well.

Requests are always welcome!

What other food-related resources are available?

If you are an OHSU student:

How do I contact the FRC?

Email us at food@ohsu.edu.

Who can access food from the Food Resource Center?
The Food Resource Center (FRC)currently serves OHSU students in the Portland area. This includes OHSU students in online programs as well as those based on campuses outside of Portland who are traveling into the Portland area. You can visit and use the FRC resource as often as you need to. There are no requirements related to income or proof of financial hardship. We trust that OHSU students understand their own personal and family needs and look forward to serving all who come to our door in the most understanding and empathetic manner, recognizing the dignity in each person. If you are an OHSU employee, post-doctoral fellow, or medical resident in need of food resources, please contact Kaely Summers at summerka@ohsu.edu.

What kind of food is available?
The FRC aims to provide fresh, frozen, and packaged foods, which are sourced locally and grown sustainably. This includes things like grains, canned fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, soups, milk and plant-based dairy alternatives, snacks, other beverages, and personal hygiene products.

Where is the Food Resource Center located?
The FRC is located at the OHSU Student Center, at 722 S.W. Campus Dr., Portland, OR 97239.

What is the process for ordering and picking up food?
Online ordering is currently paused until August 2023.

Here is a list of useful resources you might find helpful:

Student Health and Wellness resources:

Community resources:
Local pantries, including:

Online resources:

The Food Resource Center is a cross-campus collaboration involving numerous students, faculty, and staff passionate about promoting food security on campus.  The FRC evolved from some key steps:

  • 2018 and 2021 OHSU Student Food Insecurity surveys, finding that approximately 1 in 4 OHSU students experience food insecurity based on USDA-validated questions
  • 2019-2020 Meal in a Bag and Grocery Box programs led by student leaders Madi Egan and Gina Calco, utilizing grants and OHSU donations to provide no-cost meal ingredients and recipes to students
  • Student Health and Wellness efforts led by Dr. Jodi DeMunter to implement student-identified strategies for mitigating food insecurity, including a 10% student discount at OHSU food and dining locations, SNAP enrollment assistance, a food resource guide, and increased food infrastructure on campus (fridges, microwaves, etc.)
  • An active Food Market Task Force consisting of stakeholders from across campus to fundraise for and operationalize the Food Resource Center. 

The current Food Resource Center Working Group includes:

  • Diane Stadler, Ph.D., RDN, LD, Program Director of the Graduate Program in Human Nutrition & Dietetic Internship
  • Gina Calco, MD/Ph.D. Student and Co-Founder of the Grocery Box program
  • Jen Cai, MPH, MCHES, Wellness and Outreach Program Manager at the Student Health and Wellness Center
  • Jodi DeMunter, MD, Medical Director at the Student Health and Wellness Center
  • Nicky Ulrich, MNM, MA, Food Resource Center Coordinator 
  • Mary Silfven, PSU/OHSU School of Public Health Student, FRC Student Worker