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Grand Ronde Community Resource Center

The Grand Ronde Community Resource Center was established in 1999 and is a rural; reservation based non-profit organization whose support comes from foundation grants, the community, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, United Way membership, FEMA – the Emergency Food and Shelter program, civic groups, churches, individuals and local businesses.  The GRCRC is a non-profit and is a separate entity from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.  The GRCRC is governed by a volunteer seven member Board of Directors.  They are certified by the Oregon Food bank as a sub-agency distribution site for regular USDA statewide appropriated foods and Oregon Food Bank foods.

GRCRC’s missionisto educate and assist families in becoming self-sufficient by helping to meet their basic need during emergency situations. They assist individuals toward self sufficiency by providing culturally appropriate education programs to improve individual, family and community vitality.

Programs and Services:

The GRCC provides direct service and educational programs for low-income community members.  The whole community is served and 46% of those who receive services are tribal members.  The following food and education program are provided:

  • Food Bank – a self service shopping style food pantry
  • Supplemental Foods Distribution: 135-150 families monthly
  • Holiday Foods Distribution: Thanksgiving and Christmas
  • Senior Meals Distribution: 27 seniors, 2,978 meals during 2005
  • Job Training Opportunity:  Tribal Experience works program, GRCRC is an approved training site for low-income persons seeking work experience.
  • Referral services to housing, education, vocational rehabilitation, training etc.
  • Gardening education:  Community Garden, Food Bank Garden, Youth Garden – self-sufficiency empowerment through horticultural skill building.
  • Nutrition Education and cooking classes for all ages are planned expansions – including a focus on special dietary needs of diabetics, low-sodium and low-fat diets for special needs clients.
  • Food Preservation Education – freezing, drying and canning garden fruits and vegetables.  In addition to including cultural foods preservation:  wild game butchering and processing, fish filleting, smoking, preserving and preserving traditional wild foods.
  • Community Kitchen: Access to facility and preservation equipment – once trained in classes individuals can schedule use of facility and equipment to preserve foods for their families and for micro-enterprise development in food processing.

Grand Ronde Food Bank

The food bank program provides a 5-7 day supply of nutritious foods and snacks in addition to hygienic items.  Income eligible persons are able to access USDA foods, statewide appropriated foods Oregon Food Bank foods as well as donated foods.

The food bank is open on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.