- Sunshine Division has opened a free Food Market at its new headquarters at 2121 NW Front Ave. in Portland, where visitors choose their own groceries at no cost.
- The choose-your-own model – which the nonprofit says its clients most requested – is built to feel like an ordinary, dignified shopping trip rather than a handout.
- Appointments are required and an ID is requested, but Sunshine Division says no one will be turned away for not having one.
Portland’s newest grocery store stocks fresh produce, meat, dairy and pantry staples – and charges nothing at the till.
The market, run by the nonprofit Sunshine Division, opened last month at the organization’s 30,000-square-foot headquarters near Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood and is going from strength to strength. Instead of handing out pre-packed boxes, it lets people walk the aisles and choose from fresh produce, dairy, proteins and pantry staples that fit their household’s needs, cultural preferences and tastes.
It is a model the nonprofit says the people it serves asked for.
“Food assistance isn’t one-size-fits-all,” said Kyle Camberg, executive director of Sunshine Division. “Our Free Food Market model allows families to choose the foods that work best for their households while creating a more welcoming and dignified experience.”
Visitors book an appointment and are asked to bring a valid ID, but the organization says no one will be turned away for not having one. The same choose-your-own model is also returning to Sunshine Division’s Southeast Portland location at 12436 SE Stark St.
The expansion comes as demand stays at historic levels. Last month, the nonprofit said, its Southeast Portland site served about 1,600 households, while more than 2,000 households got food through its weekly home-delivery program.
The new market sits inside a headquarters that also houses a volunteer center, expanded warehouse operations and offices – part of Sunshine Division’s Next Century of Service campaign, which has raised more than $9 million toward an $11.75 million goal.
