HOPE of Rainier meets critical food scarcity

Columbia County is estimated to house around 58,000 residents. Approximately 6,000 reside within the 97048 ZIP code boundaries, which is primarily Rainier with some outskirts of Goble included. HOPE of Rainier is the local food pantry, a non-profit that provides weekly food boxes, weekend food backpacks for students, and additional emergency financial and food-relief services.

In 2025, HOPE of Rainier provided 1,769 monthly food boxes to local families, representing 4,567 individuals. This included 1,158 children, 1,504 seniors, 1,340 with some form of disability, 177 without housing, and others. There are some instances of visitors from outside the area, but Executive Director Kelly Miller said, "If you're in need - if you drop in and you are not a Rainier resident but you need food - I'm going to serve you and feed you that day, but I'm also going to give you a list of resources to take with you pertaining to the area you do live in".

Nearly 600 of those 1,769 families were employed and still needed assistance. A total of 128 new families signed up last year, totaling an extra 323 individuals. The backpack program, in conjunction with the Rainier school district, provides 36 backpacks a week, three days a week, with food items for Friday through Sunday. "We do supply backpacks year round to zero to 18 years [and] make sure they have food," said Miller.

The food boxes are a three-to-five-day supply of food. People can also come in once a week for produce, dairy, and bread (if available), and it doesn't count against the yearly food box total. Once registered, participants fill out a request form and select from a range of offered items.

Keeping up with need is a juggling act between a variety of sources. Local and regional donations make up the bulk. According to Miller, in 2025, HOPE received 2,065 pounds of produce from private individuals and 8,611 pounds of total other food, not produce. Additionally, food drives from different organizations [brought in] 2,300 pounds. Local businesses also supported the food pantry, as Dollar General donated 1,744 pounds of food and Grocery Outlet donated 30,211 pounds. Finally, the regional food bank supplied 70,621 pounds for a grand total of 107,000 pounds in 2025. Despite the volume, Miller said she still spends tens of thousands of dollars every year alongside what's donated to keep the pantry stocked and full.

An important financial contributor is the HOPE Chest. Opened in October of 2020 under the guidance of Miller, the HOPE Chest replicates the model at the Turning Point service center and neighborhood thrift store in Clatskanie. "Knowing that my thrift store at Turning Point was how I paid the bills every month, it just kind of made sense to get a thrift store opened up that was supporting the food pantry," said Miller, who noted the thrift store "contributes approximately $30,000 in revenue directly back to the pantry."

The Rainier store features a range of items, including kids items, housing and decor, antiques and collectibles, men's and women's clothing and shoes, and other odds and ends. Sales are often and the donations to keep the store stocked are plentiful. The storefront is opened by Mike Avant, who is also on the board of HOPE of Rainier. "The more people [who] shop at the thrift store, every penny there directly comes into the pantry," said Miller.

Sharing a list of items that are less donated but highly enjoyed, Miller said, "Hot and cold cereal is always lacking. One thing we never seem to get that people like to have in their homes is condiments like ketchup, mayo, mustard, vegetable oil, butter, olive oil, pancake mix, syrup, peanut butter, jelly, and canned cooked meals like ravioli and chili." Other lacking items include flour, pickles, relish, sugars, spices (including salt and pepper), and BBQ sauce.

HOPE of Rainier Food Pantry is located at 404 East A Street and is open Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the last Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon. For more info, call 503-556-0701 or visit hopeofrainier.com. HOPE Chest is located at 107 East 1st Street in Rainier and is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For info, call 503-556-4159