Community efforts to help those in need during the holiday season have had
to adjust due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, resulting in changes to
how they are done or, in the case of the annual Hoodland Community
Thanksgiving Dinner, being cancelled altogether.

Mark Grove, who has been involved in the dinner for 15 years, noted it has
happened for nearly 30 years and he has never heard of it being cancelled
before. It is held at Camp Arrah Wanna and serves approximately 300 people,
but the camp is shut down, making the decision less challenging.

“It was disheartening, but easy to make,” Grove said. “Every angle we looked
at it, it just seemed like a bad idea to do it.”

Grove noted that the dinner doesn’t just offer food, but fellowship for those
who participate, while adding that many of the people served come from a
population that has a high vulnerability to COVID-19.

He added that while they are not doing the dinner this year, organizers are
grateful to the community for all their continued support.

“Thank you for everything that everyone has provided all these years,” Grove
said.

For Thanksgiving, Mountain community members who need a full
Thanksgiving dinner meal box, from appetizers to dessert, can reach out to
the Sandy Action Community Center at sandyactioncenter.com or 503-668-
4746. Suburban Auto Group in Sandy has teamed up with the center and the
Estacada Area Food Bank to help fund the boxes, including matching
donations up to $5,000 through Monday, Nov. 9 via a Go Fund Me effort. For
more information, visit www.suburbanautogroup.com.

Erinn Sowle, President of Suburban Auto Group, told The Mountain Times in
late October that they had almost already surpassed the goal.
“I’m really thrilled at the response,” she said.

And efforts are already underway to continue the annual Christmas Basket
program, offering a food basket and a gift for children ages 18 and under to
those in need within the Welches Schools boundaries. The program started
taking sign-ups last month, with forms available at various local businesses,
including Smoke on the Mountain, the Hoodland branch of the Clackamas
County Bank, Mt. Hood Cannabis, the Welches Liquor Store, Charlie’s
Mountain View, Coffee House 26 and Welches Mountain Building Supply.
Applications for the program are due by 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4.

In a typical year, people would go and pick up boxes and gifts, but as
organizer Carol Norgard explained, this year’s program will include deliveries
on Friday, Dec. 18 or Saturday, Dec. 19 as the only option. An adult with an
ID must be present for the delivery, while non-deliverable boxes will be given
to local food pantries.

Norgard said she expected numbers to increase due to the challenges people
are facing. In recent years, the program has helped up to 100 local families,
but organizers are anticipating up to 120 this year.

Community members can also help the program by giving gifts at giving trees
at various local businesses, including Smoke on the Mountain, Clackamas
County Bank, Mt. Hood Cannabis, Charie’s Mountain View, Coffee House 26
and Welches Mountain Building Supply. Norgard added that they will need
more volunteers to help with the deliveries, which will be done by a pair of
volunteers. Delivery volunteers should be able to lift up to 60 pounds and
know their way around the Mountain community.

Norgard added that putting everything together will be a longer endeavor this
year, as they will be limited by the number of people who can sort through
food and gifts at the Welches Lions Club building.

“We can’t have too many people in the building at once while we’re sorting,”
she said.

The Lions Club has also shifted gears to support the program with their annual
Toy Drive Dinner, which will be take-out only, on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Meanwhile, the Mountain’s community outreach program, Neighborhood
Missions, just marked the two-year anniversary of holding a free market once
a month.

Program facilitator Steve Carlson noted the market, which is open from 9-10
a.m. at the Hoodland Senior Center (65000 E. Hwy. 26 in Welches), will
continue as normal through the winter months. To maintain social distancing,
boxes will be put in people’s cars for them.

Carlson added that the turnout for the market has been consistent in recent
months, with an average of approximately 75 households served. He noted
that the food program is supported by the Oregon Food Bank.

Neighborhood Missions also offers other assistance for housing costs,
prescriptions and gas, plus food boxes in between the dates of each monthly
food market. The organization will not hold its annual Harvest Festival this
year due to the pandemic, but Carlson noted they have received donations
that have recouped some of the funding the event would have provided.

“The good thing is so many people have been so generous in sending in
monetary contributions,” he said. “That has been a relief for us.”

Monetary contributions can be sent to Neighborhood Missions, PO Box 594,
Brightwood, OR 97011.
For more information on Neighborhood Missions, call 503-622-9213 or email
neighborhoodmissions1@gmail.com.