Chemeketa Community College has offered to house AWARE Food Bank, a Marion Polk Food Share location, in their Woodburn building at 154 Harrison Street. The AWARE building was damaged by a fire on Aug.16. The operations moved to the Harrison Street building on Sept. 27.
AWARE serves approximately 70 to 90 families a day. The community can access services by going to their location during open hours. No documentation of any kind is required to receive food, anyone who needs assistance can receive it. After the AWARE building was deemed unsafe by city officials, they continued to serve in a parking lot adjacent to the building. Chemeketa’s support of AWARE positively impacts the Woodburn community.
“Chemeketa’s generosity is a huge help during this tough time,” said Ian Dixon-McDonald, Vice President of Programs at Marion Polk Food Share. “Being able to continue to provide services to the Woodburn community in a building, at no cost, helps keep the experience dignified for our neighbors. It’s amazing to see the Woodburn community step up and make sure we can continue to be a dependable resource. Providing this space is helping Woodburn families continue to have the healthy food they need.”
AWARE Food Bank’s hours of operation are Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9 am – 12 pm. They will remain at Chemeketa’s Harrison Street building during repairs and construction of the AWARE building.