Community Meal Takes Lead in distributing Food via Wahtonka Food Pantry
Partnership with Columbia Gorge Food Bank key
in fighting food scarcity
From Breen Goodwin, Exec. Dir. of Columbia Gorge Food Bank:
The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 19, 2025 — Columbia Gorge Food Bank is pleased to announce that The Dalles Community Meal (TDCM) will be taking over the management of Wahtonka Pantry from Columbia Gorge Food Bank, effective immediately.
This exciting transition marks a significant milestone in both organizations’ shared commitment to addressing food insecurity and supporting individuals and families in The Dalles and surrounding areas.
When people experience hunger, it can lead to significant social effects including reduced educational attainment, strained family dynamics, difficulty forming relationships, mental health issues like depression and anxiety, and a perpetuation of poverty and inequality, particularly affecting communities already marginalized by socioeconomic factors - such as unaffordable housing.
Fresh produce at the Wahtonka Pantry is available the second and fourth Tuesday of each month between 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
As part of this new partnership, TDCM will oversee the operations of the Wahtonka Pantry, a shopping style pantry, which provides critical food assistance to the local community. The Wahtonka Pantry is one of five food pantries in The Dalles and one of 17 public pantry sites in the Columbia Gorge Food Bank regional network supporting Sherman, Wasco and Hood River counties.
TD’s Chris Zukin has been unrelenting in his philanthropy and commitment to ensuring local residents have enough to eat. We caught him here donating time to give a presentation on H.L. Davis who wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning Novel after graduating from The Dalles High School.
“This is an important step forward in our mission to reduce hunger in The Dalles,” said Chris Zukin, Chair of the Board for The Dalles Community Meal. “We are deeply grateful for the support of Columbia Gorge Food Bank and are excited to build on the foundation established at the Wahtonka Pantry. With this transition, we are committed to continuing to meet the growing demand for food services while providing a welcoming and dignified experience for those who visit the pantry.”
The Dalles Community Meal, known for its long history of providing hot, nourishing meals to people in need, will now shift its focus by providing food pantry services. TDCM plans to maintain the Wahtonka Pantry’s current schedule (second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.), ensuring continuity for those who rely on the pantry’s resources. Wahtonka Pantry is located at 3601 W 10th St, The Dalles, OR.
Columbia Gorge Food Bank has been an instrumental partner in supporting food security across the region, and through this transition, both organizations will continue to collaborate to strengthen their collective efforts in ending hunger.
File Photo - Breen Goodwin, Exec. Director with the Food Bank in the Port of The Dalles runs the booth at PCT Days in Cascade Locks in summer 2023.
“We are confident that The Dalles Community Meal will continue the excellent work of the Wahtonka Pantry,” said Breen Goodwin, Executive Director of Columbia Gorge Food Bank. “This transition will also allow the team at Columbia Gorge Food Bank to fully focus on running the operations of a Regional Food Bank, supporting all our local pantries and partners.”
For more information about where to find a public pantry, including locations and hours, visit OregonFoodFinder.org.
Fresh produce at the Wahtonka Pantry is available the second and fourth Tuesday of each month between 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Signs outside the Wahtonka Pantry indicate when the pantry is open.
May 2024 - Artist Chris Pothier of The Dalles was braving the heat this morning while installing 18 art panels at the new Columbia Gorge Food Bank building in the Port of The Dalles.
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ABOUT Columbia Gorge Food Bank
Columbia Gorge Food Bank is a Regional Food Bank, directly supporting hunger relief efforts in Sherman, Wasco, and Hood River Counties. We are a member of the Oregon Food Bank Network, connecting statewide food resources to our local community of pantries and partners. At Columbia Gorge Food Bank, we hold people experiencing hunger and food insecurity at the center of our actions and decisions. We envision a community where each person can participate, prosper and have access to food that is both nourishing and culturally relevant. Our food distribution programs aim to build a society where everyone can thrive – celebrating our differences and working together to overcome injustices that might divide us …because no one should be hungry.
