Elizabeth Davidson · · 4 min read
Tualatin Food Pantry: How It Works and How to Help
Every November I find myself thinking about what makes a place feel like home, and for me it always comes back to neighbors looking out for each other. One of the best examples I know is the Tualatin Food Pantry. Here's how it works, what it needs most right now, and the easiest ways to pitch in this holiday season.
Our ninth annual food drive
This year marks our family's ninth annual food drive for the Tualatin Food Pantry. It has become one of our favorite traditions of the season, and every year it reminds me how much this community shows up for each other.
Last year's drive, our eighth, brought in 3,497 pounds of food for the pantry. Thank you to everyone who donated.
Quick facts
- Founded: October 2004, as a community organized food pantry that started in the old Tualatin School
- In 2025: 1,050,080 pounds of food distributed, 49,626 individuals served, 13,386 household visits and 11,458 volunteer hours (the pantry's own figures)
- Where: 3550 SW Borland Road, on the lower level of the Rolling Hills Community Church building (the pantry rents the space and says it is not formally affiliated with the church)
- Partner: a partner agency of the Oregon Food Bank
- Recognition: named 2024 Spirit of Tualatin Organization at the Tualatin Chamber's Excellence in Business Awards
Twenty-plus years of neighbors helping neighbors
The pantry started in October 2004 as a community organized food pantry in the old Tualatin School, started by three founders. It later moved to its current home on SW Borland Road, where it held a ribbon cutting in 2009.
Volunteers keep it running: they put in 11,458 hours in 2025 alone. Volunteer drivers make weekly pickups from Trader Joe's in Tigard, Gleaners in Oregon City and DPI in Tualatin, and the pantry takes part in the Oregon Food Bank's Fresh Alliance grocery-rescue program. The pantry has also been recognized for how it runs: it holds a Gold rating in Clackamas County's Leaders in Sustainability program and a Green Business Leaders certification for 2026-2031.
How the pantry works
The Tualatin Food Pantry works a lot like a neighborhood grocery store: you come in during open hours and choose your own food. The food is free, and visits are twice per calendar month. On a first visit, the pantry asks for some basic household information: how many people are in the household, your zip code, any special dietary needs, and names and birthdates for everyone in the household.
Hours:
- Monday: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:00 to 7:00 pm
- Wednesday: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Thursday: 3:00 to 6:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Closed Tuesday and weekends
The pantry asks everyone to arrive at least 15 minutes before closing. Hours do change, so it's worth a quick look at the pantry's website before you go. By bus: SMART Route 10X stops just outside the pantry Monday through Friday.
Holiday meal kits (2026): the pantry is handing out holiday meal kits, drive-thru only (stay in your vehicle), one per household, first come first served, on Saturday, November 21 (12:00 to 1:30 pm) and Tuesday, November 24 (5:30 to 6:30 pm). The pantry is closed Friday, November 20 (campus closure), Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, and for the winter holiday from December 24 through January 3.
How you can help
Donate food
Food drop-off at the pantry is Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:15 am to 1:00 pm, and Monday and Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. The pantry's current high-priority list:
- Personal hygiene items and toilet paper
- Cold cereal and peanut butter
- Dry pet food
- Canned fruit, corn, peas, mixed vegetables and tomato products
- Paper bags and egg cartons
Give money
Donations go online through the pantry's Donate page, or by mail to Tualatin Food Pantry, PO Box 248, Tualatin, OR 97062. The pantry uses funds to buy items it can't get from the Oregon Food Bank or food drives, and to cover operating costs. You can also link your Fred Meyer Rewards to the pantry, and it's a 2026-2027 partner in New Seasons Market's Bag It Forward program: each time you bring a reusable bag to shop, a 5-cent donation goes to local nonprofits.
Volunteer or host a drive
The pantry is looking for hosts, who greet shoppers and stock shelves, and drivers, who handle weekly grocery pickups. Workplaces, schools and civic groups can host their own food drive through a form on the pantry's site.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tualatin Food Pantry open? Monday 10 am to 1 pm and 4 to 7 pm, Wednesday 10 am to 1 pm, Thursday 3 to 6 pm and Friday 10 am to 1 pm. It's closed Tuesdays and weekends.
Where do I drop off food donations? At the pantry, 3550 SW Borland Road: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:15 am to 1 pm, and Monday and Thursday 3 to 6 pm.
What does the pantry need most? Hygiene items and toilet paper, cold cereal, peanut butter, dry pet food, canned fruit and vegetables, tomato products, and paper bags and egg cartons.
Can my group run a food drive? Yes. The pantry has a food-drive form on its Get Involved page for workplaces, schools and civic groups.
Thank you to everyone who supports the pantry, all year long. If you're thinking about a move to Tualatin, or just want to talk about the neighborhoods around town, I'd love to hear from you. You can find more in my Tualatin city guides.
Sources
Thinking about buying or selling in Portland or Lake Oswego? Let's talk.
Contact Elizabeth
