Categories: EventsFeatures

SnowCap Auction Raises $119,000 to Help Needy in East Multnomah County

Brian and Noah Bean (L to R) enjoy the revelry with their wife/mom Alisa Karin-Bean, who serves on SnowCap's board of directors.

Portland, March 14th, 2015. The nonprofit SnowCap set a record for seats sold for its 13th annual action. 356 guests joined State Rep. Carla Piluso who served as emcee, and auctioneer JillMarie Wiles at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport. Brian and Noah Bean enjoy the revelry with Alisa Karin-Bean, who serves on SnowCap’s board of directors. (Photos: LeeAnn Gauthier)

Victoria Purvine admires a glass bowl made by presenting sponsor Alyson Huntting. Huntting bought an outdoor address base mount donated by Purvine’s company Evergreen Remodeling, Inc.

The dinner and auction raised $119,000 for food, diapers and clothing to help low-income families in east Portland, Gresham, Fairview, Troutdale, Parkrose and Wood Village. In 2014, SnowCap distributed nearly 1.2 million pounds of food. Because of community support and the Oregon Food Bank, SnowCap will be able to double the number of visits allowed per family, per year from six to 12.

OnPoint Credit Union was a golden sponsor of SnowCap’s 13th Annual Dinner and Auction. OnPointe staff Rene Wolfe was so excited by the handmade quilts, that she just wanted to kiss someone. Luckily, her husband, Craig Wolfe walked straight into it.

The flames were as high as the auction bidding thanks to SnowCap board vice-chair Jim Mahnke’s mastery of the bananas foster. This dessert dash prize served by Goldie Hohnstein (not shown) at SnowCap’s auction.

Sponsors included: Les Schwab Tire Centers, Boeing, Pacific Power, PGE, Parkrose Community United Church of Christ and Sally Gaudina, with RE/MAX Equity Group. More than 8,000 residents depend on SnowCap for food or clothing each month, and a multigenerational crew of volunteers helps the nonprofit organization run smoothly.

From SnowCap:

SnowCap volunteers make a difference for their neighbors in need. They feed over 8,000 people per month. This involves food drives, picking up and delivering food, sorting food donations, stocking shelves, packing bags. It also means driving trucks, weeding the garden, working on committees and interviewing clients. There is also administrative work to do; data entry, writing newsletter articles, thank you letters and sending reminder postcards.

Thanks to this network of over 1,000 volunteers children go to bed with full tummies, seniors are not forced to choose between heating or eating and families can gather around a dinner table to share their day.

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.