Supplemental Food for People Living with HIV/AIDS

Spring has sprung and our residents, staff, and volunteers have gotten into full swing with the Resident Garden.  Since last year we have welcomed a new Garden Manager, Alan Winders (pictured), to the fold.  As Garden Manager, some of Alan’s responsibilities will include coordinating activities including planning, preparation, planting, maintenance and harvesting.  The garden group consists of Our House residents, clients and other volunteers.  This volunteer position requires a few hours per week on site – planting, harvesting, etc., plus communication to manage team remotely.  This is an exciting role for such a compassionate individual, like Alan, who loves gardening and wants to help motivate others to cultivate their green thumbs!  Food that is grown in the resident garden will go to supplement food that is donated from Whole Foods and New Seasons as well as food purchased from Oregon Food Bank.

Erica Rickman (pictured), a BSN ACRV for Our House, was awarded a fellowship position with the Oregon Health Authority’s Council of Clinical Innovators!  Ericka was selected among a pool of 25 applicants and wrote a substantial grant for this position.   Ericka will be working on the garden project with a group of other fellows and their innovative projects to learn about programs that can be therapeutic while keeping costs contained.  Erica was a large player in the development of the resident garden’s beginning stages and is an avid gardener herself. 

Between the months of April and the end of June we saw the following grant processes for grants specifically for the purpose of our food programs.

Received

TJX Foundation (food) $5,000

The Autzen Foundation (food) $5,000

Submitted (no response yet)

MAC Aids Fund (food) - $25,000