Look inside the new free food market in NW Portland, built to serve 100,000 households this year

Visitors can grab a shopping cart and stroll through a grocery store-like space at the Sunshine Division's new free food market.

The Sunshine Division delivers about 500 food boxes to homes each week.

On Tuesday, the Sunshine Division opened its new location in Slabtown, at 2121 NW Front Ave., where visitors can grab a shopping cart and stroll through a grocery store-like space, selecting their own fresh food, produce and pantry goods.

About 80% of the Sunshine Division's food comes from donations.

“Today we’re opening the front door to the families we serve,” Executive Director Kyle Camberg said.

Camberg said every shopping slot — about six people for every 20 minutes — was filled for opening day. More than 100 people were expected to fill their baskets.

“They get to take what’s appropriate for their household,” Camberg said. “You might be lactose intolerant, so maybe you don’t want dairy, and I might be allergic to peanut butter.”

Visitors can sign up in advance for a shopping slot if they meet at least one of several criteria including having a minor dependent, receiving Social Security income, or receiving SNAP benefits.

Anyone who meets at least one of several criteria can sign up for a shopping time slot.

About 80% of the nonprofit’s food comes from donations, though Camberg said most of that is from grocers, retailers, farms, food brokers, produce brokers, local food producers or manufacturers. Members of the public can also host food drives or make cash or equipment donations.

Camberg said the nonprofit’s old facility, a 97-year-old warehouse in North Portland, didn’t serve the organization’s needs and didn’t offer a comfortable experience. For the past six years, they’ve leased an empty Safeway-Albertson’s store in Wilsonville, he said, which helped expand service, but wasn’t open to the public for food shopping.

The Sunshine Division was expecting more than 100 shoppers on the first day of its new free food market.

Now Sunshine Division has everything under the same roof. The Front Avenue location has a warehouse, shopping center, volunteer space and offices.

More than 100 years ago, the Sunshine Division was created by a group of Portland police officers, reserve officers and city officials delivering food in Goose Hollow during the holidays.

Dubbed the “Sunshine Boys” by local media, the crew eventually morphed into what’s now an independent nonprofit organization.

Sunshine Division also offers home delivery food boxes and provides free food boxes to the Police Bureau for distribution to anyone in need. The organization delivers about 500 food boxes to homes each week.

The Sunshine Division's new location puts the warehouse, offices, volunteer center and grocery shopping under the same roof.

“As long as the Police Bureau would like to distribute food to people that are in crisis, we are happy to provide it,” Camberg said. “It gives us a 24/7 component that no charity would have, so it’s very unique.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the location of the old warehouse. The Oregonian/OregonLive regrets the error.