Stories from our Partners


Funding a Farmers Market in Lents

From our related Focus Area: Kaiser Permanente Community Fund

Demand for fresh, local, and affordable produce existed in Lents neighborhood of Portland, even thought there was no farmer’s market to provide it. That is, until a coalition called Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) came together, funded by the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund, a donor-advised fund of the Northwest Health Foundation.

“Your environment is a significant factor in whether you can choose to walk instead of drive, or pick up healthy food for dinner. In Lents, we saw an opportunity to actually change that environment and help make the healthy choice the easier choice for residents,” says Noelle Dobson, director of the Healthy Eating Active Living coalition.

Throughout Oregon and southwest Washington, coalitions such as this, many funded by Northwest Health Foundation, are working to address the socio-economic conditions, policies, and physical structures —  like bike paths and recreational trails — that impact the choices people make every day about eating and physical activity.


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