Donna, Elm Court Volunteer
When Donna Elsasser began volunteering for Loaves & Fishes Centers in downtown Portland, Jimmy Carter was president and gas was $1.25 a gallon. Now, more than 30 years later, several presidents and gas creeping up to $4 a gallon, Donna is still with us. In 1978 she was working for Pacific Northwest Bell and the company's community relations team had received a request for someone to serve on the steering committee at the Downtown Loaves & Fishes Center. "At the time, I was the oldest manager on the team, so they thought I should do it," Donna laughed. "I was only 42!"
"In those days, our Downtown Center was located on the corner of SW 6th and Burnside and shared space with Catholic Charities and the Downtown Chapel," Donna said. "Many times our seniors had to wade through street people and drug addicts waiting for Catholic Charities to open in order to get into the center. The space had no windows and it was pretty grim."
Donna served on the steering committee for the center, headed up fundraising projects and even came in after work with her coworkers to paint the inside of the building. When the Downtown Center merged with the former Northwest Center to form Elm Court Center in 2003, Donna was still there on the steering committee. She's also served on the agency's Centers Council, the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Finance Committee.
"My grandparents died when I was a child and I never really had the opportunity to interact with seniors," she said. "I saw service to the Downtown Loaves & Fishes Center as my second chance to have a whole lot of grandparents. I have loved getting to know the seniors and so many of them are so dear. Where else would they go or receive a hot noon meal if it wasn't for Loaves & Fishes?"
Thank you, Donna, for your years of devoted service to the seniors in downtown Portland!