Our Story

Mainspring’s story begins in 1967, when a coalition of Portland churches came together with one clear mission: to provide emergency food and clothing to families in crisis. What started in the basement of a small church, with volunteers organizing donated groceries and hand me down coats, soon grew into a lifeline for children, families, and seniors struggling to make ends meet.

In those early years, the organization, then known as Fish Emergency Services, relied on neighbors helping neighbors. Volunteers carried boxes of food up stairwells, drove donated goods across town, and worked shoulder to shoulder with families to ensure no one left empty handed. Over time, Fish became not only a safety net but a symbol of compassion and resilience in Portland.

Through the decades, Fish faced hardships that could have ended a less determined group. Fires destroyed facilities, leadership transitions brought uncertainty, and the demand for services often outpaced resources. Yet, each time, the community rallied. With every setback came renewal, rebuilding stronger, reimagining services, and expanding programs to respond to Portland’s ever-changing needs.

By 2015, Fish Emergency Services reintroduced itself as Mainspring Portland, a name that captured both its legacy and its vision for the future. Many may know a mainspring as the driving force inside a clock, a steady source of energy and motion. For the families we serve, Mainspring represents just that: a spring of constant nourishment, strength, dignity, and support in times of struggle.

The move to our accessible building on NE 82nd Avenue in 2017 marked a turning point. With expanded space, easier transit access, and room to grow, Mainspring became more than a pantry. It became a welcoming community hub where neighbors could find not just food, clothing, hygiene products, and household staples, but also friendship, stability, and pathways to resources.

When the Covid 19 pandemic struck in 2020, Mainspring adapted once again. Overnight, the team transformed its traditional pantry into an open air, farmers market style distribution center. While so many pantries across Portland closed their doors during those uncertain months, Mainspring continued to serve. This model not only kept staff, volunteers, and families safe, but also empowered neighbors with choice, allowing them to select foods meaningful to their culture, health, and household. The pandemic tested the organization’s limits, but it also reaffirmed Mainspring’s role as a trusted and essential part of the community.

Today, Mainspring continues to grow one step at a time. From its humble beginnings in a church basement to its current role as a cornerstone of support in NE Portland, Mainspring has never lost sight of its purpose: to ensure that no neighbor faces hunger or hardship alone. Over the years, the name Mainspring has taken on new meaning. It reflects not only the drive and resilience of the organization but also how neighbors describe us: the mainspring of our community, a hub of resources and hope where everyone can find strength in difficult times.

Currently Mainspring operates with a dedicated team of just four employees and the heart and commitment of 45 volunteers. Together, this small but mighty force made it possible to serve more than 113,000 individuals in 2024, a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with compassion and purpose.

Current Mainspring Team

Kyle Urban, Executive Director, kurban@mainspringpdx.org

Lorren Snowwolf, Deputy Director, lsnowwolf@mainspringpdx.org

Deborah Wiser, Food Distribution and Facility Manager , dwiser@mainspringpdx.org

Christopher Fleming, Food Distribution and Facility Coordinator, cfleming@mainspringpdx.org