History

It was 1934—depression days for the nation. The Sunshine Ladies of Sunnyside Seventh day Adventist church and the Women’s auxiliary of the Adventist Sanitarium were moved by the plight of so many desperate families in their community. They decided to sew clothes for people to keep their neighbors warm and comfortable.

It soon became apparent that these people also needed food, and so these ladies began to offer food as well.

The Sunshine Ladies were very busy and through the years other people began to help. In 1963 eight Seventh-day Adventist churches decided to pool their resources and serve the community through one agency, rather than in each individual church. And so Portland Adventist Community Services was born.

It was located on Hawthorne Street in a small house and had just a handful of volunteers. Through the years it became affectionately known as “PACS.” It grew little by little and after awhile needed more space. It was decided to move.

In 1973 an old furniture store was located, money was borrowed and PACS moved to 6611 SE Powell. The building was very large—10,000 square feet—and provided plenty of space to serve those needing help.

As the years passed, PACS continued to quietly grow. In 1987 approximately 18,000 people were served. In 1993 a health clinic was added. In 1994 nearly 24,000 people came for help, and in 1995 a thrift shop was opened. The people in the churches hardly recognized the work they began so long ago. Under the leadership of various capable and always part-time directors and volunteers, the Lord blessed His work.

The work continued to grow until the once huge building was bursting at the seams. Again it was time to move.

In 1998 a piece of land was purchased with two buildings and a large parking lot. The agency moved.

At that time the food distribution was changed from handing out boxes of food to grocery style distribution. People were able to choose their own food from shelves and refrigerators.

Now PACS is recognized by the Oregon Food Bank as the busiest emergency food site in the state. PACS and its staff and volunteers have received numerous awards from the community through the years. More and more people come to PACS each year and none are turned away. This is accomplished by a mighty force of over 215 volunteers providing more than 37,000 hours of service each year. It has been necessary to hire a full-time director to coordinate the agency. PACS is known by the people it serves as the agency that serves them cheerfully, that preserves their dignity—the agency that really cares.