FEED IT FORWARD PDX Feed It Forward PDX is a meal train sponsorship program from the Toro Bravo Inc Restaurant group feeding Portlanders facing food insecurity.
1.) MEALS FOR NONPROFITS How it works: We collect donations to make for meals distributed by nonprofits serving Portland’s homeless and vulnerable populations. When enough donations are collected to support a meal service for 50-150 folks, we prepare and deliver a meal from our commissary kitchen at PLAZA DEL TORO to fit the needs of the nonprofit.
2.) SLIDING SCALE MEALS FOR ANYONE How it works: Anyone in need can call any of our open locations to order a sliding scale meal (including 100% free), no questions asked. Funds donated to our sliding scale program offset the cost of pay-what-you-can-afford meals and free kids meals that we offer to anyone in need at Toro Bravo Inc restaurant locations. Donations are accepted on the Feed It Forward PDX website or can be added on to purchases when ordering from our restaurants online. Sliding scale meals are currently offered at: Toro Bravo Bless Your Heart Burgers 33rd Ave Tasty n Alder Mediterranean Exploration Company Shalom Y’all East Tasty n Daughters (starting April 22)
3.) FREE FOOD BAGS FOR ANYONE How it works: We give away free food bags at PLAZA DEL TORO for anyone in need every Friday at 2PM until we run out at 1203 NW Glisan. These bags often include soups to reheat at home, produce, milk, pantry basics, and various other ingredients donated to us by our purveyors and the community. Bags are built to ensure we are offering healthy, comforting meals for anyone who wants one. If we receive enough in-kind donations, we hope to expand this program to offer free bags every day of the week. Purveyors and farmers can email inquiries@plazadeltoropdx.com to donate food or ingredients.
WHY WE ARE DOING THIS
To feed people in need.
To employ our staff. We were forced to lay off 90% of our staff of 275 employees. The more meals we can make, the more staff we can bring back.
Every meal we make helps invigorate the restaurant economy including our staff, local farmers and purveyors who need an outlet.
Nonprofits are scrambling to pivot to offer their services. They do not have the capacity and safety regulations to do food service.
Community advocacy has always been a core value of our company. We have been supporting many of these nonprofits for years.
Rose Haven Rose Haven is a day shelter and community center serving women, children and gender non-conforming folks experiencing trauma, poverty, and physical and mental health challenges. Restoring stability and dignity for 3,500 guests annually. Volunteer & Operations Manager Jessica Almroth says:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for the work we do. In just a few weeks we’ve had to completely shift our model of service to provide to-go meals, supplies, and emergency services at the door. We generally rely on donated food, and as restaurants and other places have closed, our food sources have all but disappeared. We rely heavily on volunteers as well, and have had to limit people onsite to practice social distancing. Lack of volunteers and donation resources has pushed us to find creative ways to continue feeding our community. The Feed it Forward Program allows us to focus our energy and financial resources on providing emotional support and emergency hygiene and outdoor supplies.”
Feed It Forward PDX meal sponsorships for Rose Haven will be used to make up to 50 lunches each day.
p:ear p:ear mentors Portland’s homeless youth to affirm personal worth and create healthier lives and communities. p:ear Development Director Pippa Arend says:
“We are deeply grateful for the visionary work of Renee, John and the whole team at Toro Bravo Inc for their Feed It Forward program! Programs like Feed It Forward make it possible for p:ear to stay open and serve over 150+ meals per day “out the door” to our community’s most vulnerable, homeless young people.”
Feed It Forward PDX meal sponsorships for p:ear will be used to make up to 150 lunches for homeless youth each day.
Portland Homeless Family Solutions PHFS empowers homeless families with children to get back into housing and to stay there long-term. Brandi Tuck, Executive Director says:
“At PHFS, we always say, ‘It takes a Village.’ The Feed it Forward Program is a perfect example of our Portland Village coming together to support each other. We are honored and grateful to work with the Toro Bravo Restaurant Group to provide high-quality, delicious meals to our families in shelter. During these challenging times, this will be a real treat for us, while also fulfilling a critical need of feeding our families in shelter.”
Feed It Forward PDX meal sponsorships for PHFS will be used to make up to 60 lunches and 60 dinners per day for families staying at their Family Village shelter, which serves up to 25 homeless families with children at a time. We can also collect in-kind donations for non-perishable food boxes they are delivering to 20 homeless families living in motels waiting for housing.
New Avenues for Youth New Avenues for Youth provides young people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness the resources and skills needed to lead healthy, productive lives, from supporting basic needs like meals and counseling to providing opportunities for education, job training, employment, and housing. New Avenues Development Director Laura Eads says:
“New Avenues for Youth has served young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in our community for more than 20 years, and despite this pandemic, we are continuing to provide critical services to these vulnerable young people. In particular, our Drop-In Day Center is working diligently not only to expand our health, hygiene, and emergency needs but also to set up measures to ensure that even though they don’t have a place to “stay home” they have a safe place to find respite in this difficult time. Support from the Feed it Forward initiative will provide critical meals to young people in our Drop-In Center and housing programs through the COVID-19 crisis.”
Feed It Forward PDX meal sponsorships for New Avenues for Youth will be used to make up to 60 hot dinners each week.
