Portland Adventist Community Services PACS is a vibrant faith-based Community of Service made up of staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners who work together to provide food, low-cost dental care, and low-cost clothing/household items to individuals and families.
ACS began in 1934 when women from the Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Adventist Sanitarium (now Adventist Health Portland) began meeting to sew quilts and clothing for struggling families during the Great Depression. Gradually the group started to distribute food in addition to clothing. In 1963 the ministry expanded when additional churches joined the effort, seeking to pool their resources to create a more effective program. That is when PACS was officially founded as a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of theOregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA). In 1993 the PACS Health Clinic was added (closed in 2018), in 1995 the PACS Thrift Stores were launched, and in 2019 Gateway Grace Clinic, a caring dental clinic was added.
PACS welcomes all. We respect the human rights and dignity of everyone we serve regardless of your race, age, religion, country of origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical and mental abilities. While we are a faith-based organization affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we do not require you as a client, program participant, or volunteer to attend or take part in any religious activities to receive services. You can also be assured that your personal beliefs have no bearing on the services you receive.
The PACS Food Pantry and Mobile Food Pantry provide nutritious food to the residents of our community regardless of citizenship or immigration status. We are not a government agency. We do not collect or share information about your immigration status. We protect your personal information and keep it secure. Our food pantry and mobile food pantry also comply with the US Department of Agricultures Nondiscrimination Policy.
If you have questions about this statement or believe that there has been a violation of this statement, please request to speak with Executive Director Laura Pascoe in person at our administrative office, or by phone 503-252-8500, ext 1113 about your complaint or concern so that rapid and constructive action can be taken before relationships become irreparably strained.
First of all, thank you so much for considering us for your donations! The items you donate here are sold at low cost to provide quality HomeGoods to those who need them most. Proceeds fund our food pantry and dental clinic to help even more people. You are the engine that keeps our mission going. Thank you!
Before you come, please make sure that the items you are donating are things we can accept to save everyone time. If you have any questions, please give us a call before bringing your items at 503-252-8500.
We retain the right to refuse any items for any reason. You can help us reduce our expenses by allowing us to decline those items that we cannot sell in our stores. Thank you for understanding. If you have questions about whether something will be accepted or not, please give us a call at 503-252-8500.