Community Spotlight: Filipino Bayanihan Center
The Filipino Bayanihan Center unites Filipinos in Oregon to build community through programming that addresses and advocates for the needs of marginalized Filipinos living in Oregon. The Filipino Bayanihan Center will feature and stock approximately 50 portions of the featured ingredient for each of the four themed weeks in April for SOBRANG SARAP in its Kalusugan Community Pantry, a weekly no-cost pantry of non-perishables and seasonal vegetables.
This year we’re excited to support the center by donating a portion of our Sobrang Sarap Party ticket sales to the center.
From the Bayanihan center
Migrant and immigrant Filipinos make up the majority of the growing Filipino population in Oregon. While many migrants make the choice to seek better livelihood for their families, many were forced to leave the country because of a lack of job opportunities, were displaced by environmental disaster, or did not have access to health or educational opportunities at home. As overseas workers, Filipinos take on low-wage earning jobs in health, service, hospitality, and manufacturing industries across the state.
While the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the disproportionate infection rate within the Filipino community, Filipinos make up a significant portion of our frontline health workers and in many essential industries; the urgent need for a resource and service center in Oregon pre-existed the pandemic.
The Kalusugan Food Pantry is one of the Filipino Bayanihan Center’s original programs. Since opening in 2021, we have expanded from a few shelves open to the public on Fridays, to a space in the Community Room where you can find non-perishables Monday to Friday, seasonal produce for our free meal kit programs, and giveaways from our community partners such as: donated hygiene/PPE products, flower bouquets, and seeds.
We aim to provide culture specific food for the Filipino community sourced locally from businesses around Oregon. Our grocery style pantry is available during open hours of the Filipino Bayanihan Center, while Lutong Bahay, our bimonthly meal kits, will be available for signup quarterly.
