North Plains Food Bank

06/20/2026

If you missed the OPB Think Out Loud episode you can click on the below link. I am so excited that the North Plains Food Bank was one of the featured sections and I got to bring awareness to what we do every week.

We convened a community conversation in North Plains at the Atfalati Ridge Elementary School. About 55 area residents shared what they think makes North Plains special and why they think the urban growth boundary should be left alone or expanded.

06/09/2026

The Dixie Mountain Strawberry Festival could use volunteers! They are going to be prepping whip cream and berries on the 19th, as well as setting up the dining room if any volunteers are available or would like to help with that. On the 20th (day of the Strawberry Festival) they could use volunteers for serving, bussing tables, dishes, and directing parking.
If you can help - please contact Aurora Stanley at: [email protected]

06/08/2026

Hello North Plains! The North Plains Business Alliance in partnership with Strong Towns North Plains has started a new initiative to support our local food / drink establishments. The first one will be at La Loteria Taco Shop next Friday June 12th from 5 - 8 pm. Come on by, grab a taco - or two! And the margaritas are great, too! See you Friday! Bring your appetite!!

05/22/2026

🎒 Kickstart2School is coming July 18th! 🎒

Kickstart2School is open to K–12 students in the Hillsboro School District whose families may need extra support preparing for the school year.

Families can find qualifications and register online at: www.Kickstart2School.org

You can also email questions to: [email protected]

This year, we are expanding the event to serve up to 700 K–12 students throughout our community.

Kickstart2School helps students begin the school year feeling confident, prepared, and supported by providing access to:
• Brand-new shoes
• New coats
• Vision screenings and glasses
• Medical and dental services
• Vaccines
• School supplies (dependent on donations)
• Additional community resources and support

📅 Friday, July 18th
⏰ 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
📍 North Plains Elementary School

We also need the community’s help.
At this time, Kickstart2School still does not have a school supply sponsor. If you would like to help support the event, we would be incredibly grateful for donations through our Amazon school supply wish list: https://a.co/02VVCMs1

You can also purchase school supplies and drop them off at:
📍 North Plains Food Bank
31392 NW Commercial Street
North Plains, OR

Every item donated helps a student.
Every backpack filled helps a family.
Every act of generosity helps a child walk into school with confidence.

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors and partners:
Presented by: North Plains Food Bank
Shoe Sponsor: Soles4Souls
Coats: Operation Warm
Vision/Glasses: Vision To Learn and Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation
Medical & Dental: Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

Thank you for helping us support local students and families through Kickstart2School! ❤️

05/13/2026

**This is a new low for Bill Reid, Chief O'Reilly and City Staff.**

Last Thursday, the City removed the parking in front of the Food Bank on Commercial Street and turned it into a “loading zone” from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

This was done with little concern for the people it would impact most: our clients, our senior citizens, our families, and our volunteers.

To make matters worse, the City painted the area incorrectly and failed to put up clear signage explaining that the parking has changed. For decades, people have parked there the same way. Now, suddenly, they are expected to know the rules have changed without proper notice or direction.

It is not my job to stand outside and explain the City’s poor planning to every person who comes to the Food Bank.

Today, City Staff sent Chief O’Reilly to tell me that citations may be issued to people who do not park correctly in the new loading zone area. He said they would “educate them first,” but the message was clear: the City created confusion, and now the people coming to the Food Bank may be punished for it.

When I asked where our clients are supposed to park between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., when the Food Bank is open and the loading zone is still in effect, the response was: “That is not my problem.”

That statement is unacceptable.

It is absolutely their problem when City decisions make it harder for senior citizens, families, and people in need to access food.

We serve approximately 600 people and 200 families every week. Around 80% of the families who come to the Food Bank have a North Plains address. These are our neighbors. These are people in this community. These are seniors who may already struggle to walk, parents picking up food for their children, and families doing their best to get by.

And now, instead of helping, City leadership is making access more difficult.

This feels like another attempt to push the Food Bank out, and it needs to stop.

A city that truly cares about its residents does not create barriers between hungry families and food. A city that cares about senior citizens does not take away access and then say, “not my problem.” A city that respects its volunteers does not create unsafe, confusing conditions and then threaten citations.

We need leadership that listens.
We need leadership that cares.
We need leadership that understands that feeding people is not a nuisance — it is a lifeline.

Please come by the Food Bank tomorrow or Thursday and sign the petition calling for the removal of Bill Reid from his position as North Plains City Manager.

Someone who continues to ignore the needs of this community, the safety of our volunteers, and the dignity of the clients we serve should not be leading our city.

This is horrible.
This is wrong.
And it needs to stop now.

05/11/2026

Petition for the Removal of Bill Reid, North Plains City Manager: Standing Up for Our Clients, Volunteers, and community.

Every week, families, seniors, children, and neighbors come through our doors because they need help. They deserve to be treated with respect. Our volunteers deserve to be safe. And our community deserves city leadership that listens, responds, and puts people before politics.

That is why we are asking people to sign a petition calling for the immediate review and removal of Bill Reid as North Plains City Manager.

The petition raises serious concerns, including:
• Planning for another major Urban Growth Boundary expansion, despite voters overwhelmingly rejecting the previous expansion
• Mismanagement concerns involving city finances and taxpayer dollars
• Failure to complete required city audits for multiple years
• A lack of transparency and public input on decisions affecting residents, businesses, the Food Bank, parking, volunteers, and the clients we serve.

The Food Bank is not just a building. It is a lifeline.

When city decisions create safety concerns, limit access, or ignore the needs of the people coming to us for food, it directly impacts real people in our community. It affects the senior trying to carry groceries safely. It affects the parent picking up food for their children. It affects the volunteers loading, unloading, delivering, and serving with care every single week.

Our clients should never become an afterthought.
We need leadership that listens to the voters, respects the community, protects our volunteers, and understands the importance of serving people in need with dignity.
If you want to help make a change, please stop by the Food Bank this week to sign the petition.

You do not need to live in North Plains to use your voice. This is about standing with the Food Bank, our volunteers, our clients, and every person who believes city leadership should care about the people it is supposed to serve.

Please join us at the North Plains City Council meeting on Monday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Jessie Mays Community Center.
Let’s fill the room.
Let’s stand together.
Let’s speak for our clients, our volunteers, and our community.

05/02/2026

🎉 Big News! 🎉

We are beyond excited to announce that Operation Warm is our official coat sponsor for this year’s Kickstart2School event! 💛

Because of their incredible generosity, we will be providing 700 brand-new coats to students in need—helping ensure they stay warm, confident, and ready to learn.

Kickstart2School supports K–12 students and families connected to the North Plains Food Bank and families with limited income within the Hillsboro School District. This event is designed to provide extra support to families who need it most, helping ease the burden of back-to-school expenses and ensuring every child starts the year prepared and confident.

This is what community looks like. This is what support looks like.

📅 Dates: July 17 (Set-Up) & July 18 (Event)
📍 Location: North Plains Elementary School

👉 Want to get involved?
If you would like to volunteer or be part of this event, please call Lora 503-442-8060 or email [email protected]

🌐 Learn more: www.Kickstart2School.org

Thank you, Operation Warm, for making such a meaningful impact in the lives of our children and families. ❤️

04/29/2026

Meet Steven Dexheimer
Community Spotlight Columnist

Steven Dexheimer became deeply involved in the North Plains community through the North Plains Food Bank, founded by his wife, Lora. What began as helping support her vision quickly became something much bigger. As he stepped in to assist, Steven was struck by the number of volunteers who showed up and the genuine passion they carried for the community. That passion, he says, was contagious.

Since November 2023, Steven has served as a board member and city liaison for the Food Bank, where he’s had the opportunity to meet and work alongside many of the people quietly doing meaningful work in North Plains. What he loves most about being involved here is exactly that — the people. He is continually inspired by the individuals who dedicate their time and energy to making the community stronger, and he feels proud and grateful to help share their stories with readers.

Outside of his work, Steven and his wife devote much of their time to animal rescue. On their 11-acre property, Stray Haven Ranch, they care for animals that have been neglected or abandoned. For the past thirteen years, they’ve provided refuge to horses, sheep, goats, ducks, and chickens, while also working closely with the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon. Their barn has become a safe haven for cats who cannot be housed elsewhere and are at risk of euthanasia. Some remain feral, while others slowly learn to trust and eventually become part of the family. As Steven puts it, they have lots of pets.

A fun fact about Steven: he’s a musician who has been playing bass guitar since high school. Over the years, he’s played in several bands and written and recorded his own music. While he’s not currently in a band, he hopes to return to it one day.

Steven has long been fascinated by local history — especially the stories of everyday people who built lives here against the odds. He’s drawn to the quieter details of how communities were formed: where the first towns were established, how commerce functioned, and how families made their way. He also holds a deep interest in the Native peoples who lived in this region for thousands of years before settlement and believes their contributions deserve greater recognition and honor.

To Steven, community isn’t defined by an address. It’s defined by relationships — by the people you care about and the time you spend helping others. It’s where dedication and passion are shared and returned, and where meaningful connections are built over time.

04/25/2026

Tonight is the night! We’d love to see you there!
We’re excited to bring our community together for a special night supporting the North Plains Food Bank. Events like this help us continue providing food and support to the hundreds of individuals and families we serve each week.
Every donation, every shared post, and every person who shows up makes a real difference.
Come be part of something meaningful—good people, a great cause, and a chance to support neighbors in need.

04/16/2026

🎶 We’d love to see you there! 🎶

We’re excited to bring our community together for a special night supporting the North Plains Food Bank. Events like this help us continue providing food and support to the hundreds of individuals and families we serve each week.

Every donation, every shared post, and every person who shows up makes a real difference.

Come be part of something meaningful—good people, a great cause, and a chance to support neighbors in need.