1,700 Holiday Meals Sent To Military, Civilian Oregon Families

PORTLAND, OR — To help military and veteran families in Salem, as well as civilian Oregonians throughout the state, the Portland Police Bureau's Sunshine Division and Safeway will provide 1,700 pre-packaged meals for the American Military Encouragement Network (AMEN) to deliver this holiday season.

An estimated 500 military and 1,200 civilian families will benefit, according to Sunshine Division spokesman Kyle Camberg. Along with AMEN, both active and reserve National Guard troops will help deliver the meals.

"We have a motto at Sunshine Division that we 'serve those who serve.' Who better to provide support to than families who've made significant sacrifices for their community and country that are facing economic challenges," said Officer Matt Tobey, Sunshine Division's assigned police officer and Portland Police Bureau liaison. "Safeway's generosity has allowed us to extend additional holiday support to our year-round partners who could use our support even more this time of year."

Camberg said the Safeway Foundation opted to support the Sunshine Division's programs and partner nonprofits to benefit from in-store promotions, making the significant donation possible.

"Safeway focuses on giving locally to help strengthen the neighborhoods we serve. We're dedicated to bettering the lives of people living in Oregon and Southwest Washington," Safeway's Director of Communications and Public Affairs Jill McGinnis said in a statement. "By partnering with Sunshine Division, and recognizing the enormous sacrifice our local veterans have made, we're able to address their critical need for food in this community."

For more information, visit http://www.sunshinedivision.org.

Image via Portland Police Bureau's Sunshine Division