Meet Our Partner! Asian Food Pantry at the Center for Positive Aging
Byline: Justina Klammer
Photos courtesy of Judy Lee
Ah, the beautiful burnt orange orbs that are persimmons. They hang off their leaf-bare branches late into the fall, long after the fruits of other trees have given up the ghost. Like decorations to mark the season, their brightness is all the more striking under gray Portland skies.
Unfortunately, the dozens of persimmons on any particular tree each autumn often don’t get used for anything other than looking at, until they, too, turn to mush and fall, unharvested, onto the cold ground. Portland Fruit Tree Project and Judy Lee of Asian Food Pantry are trying to change that.
The Asian Food Pantry was born out of pandemic need. In 2020, when the city shut down, the 200-plus low-income senior Asian households downtown were left without access or transportation to the Jade District in SE Portland where the vast majority of Asian services and markets are located. As community groups scrambled to continue to serve their clients, new partnerships were formed. Asian Food Pantry was born out of this somewhat urgent service reshuffling. Soon the Asian Food Pantry became not only a food source, but a lifeline to social services and emotional support.
Persimmon
“Like decorations to mark the season”.
Where do the persimmons come in? Persimmons are what Judy calls, “a culturally specific food.” That is, a food that is relevant, prominent, or important to a specific culture. Persimmons show up in many Asian cultures. They are often a symbol of luck and abundance. Some provinces in China have whole festivals celebrating the persimmon.
There are actually two types of persimmon, American and Asian. American persimmons are native to the southeastern part of the country and are known as astringent persimmons. These persimmons must be eaten when they are as soft as a tomato. Asian persimmons come in both astringent and non-astringent types. Non-astringent persimmons can be eaten when they are still firm, like an apple. Both types are incredibly sweet and can be a revelation for those who’ve seen them throughout town but have never tasted them before.
Of course, persimmons aren’t the only produce that clients of the Asian Food Pantry receive. Last summer, Portland Fruit Tree Project and Neighborhood Gleaners teamed up to bring excess produce from the Hollywood Farmers Market to the seniors. PFTP also began a new partnership with Kindness Farms to deliver culturally familiar vegetables to Asian Food Pantry clients.
Asian produce can be hard to come by in western grocery stores. Aside from ginger and bok choy, many products are only available at Asian-specific markets. Donated food is most often a reflection of what we see in western grocery stores. Judy would like to see cultural acknowledgment in the food pantry world as a “new model going forward.” She relates a story in which many of her clients received beets in their food boxes. She had to explain to her clients what the beets were. Many had never seen them before, much less cooked with them. Food is more than physical sustenance. It is an intrical part of our social lives, and can make a huge impact on our emotional well-being. Food can show caring. Food can show intention. Judy remembers a note she received from a client when the persimmons arrived in the food boxes cultivated by PFTP, “My husband and I have lived in subsidized housing for twelve years. This is the FIRST TIME a non-Asian organization has provided a culturally-specific, much-valued fresh fruit—persimmons! We really appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
At the beginning of each year, PFTP meets with Judy to see what fruits her clients might want. Peaches? Yes. Cherries? Yes. Asian pears? Definitely, but not so much the European pears.
The Asian Food Pantry continues to grow, with plans to add a site in N/NE Portland this May. Judy’s hope for the future is to pair up with Asian-owned farms to grow produce directly for the pantry. Judy says she is, “...incredibly grateful for different community groups...” coming together during the past couple of years. Portland Fruit Tree Project is grateful to be a part of Judy’s community as well.
