Barbers To Raise Year’s Worth Of Peanut Butter for Portland Police Sunshine Division

Thursday, September 21, 2017
GoLocalPDX Lifestyle Team

Don & Alison Lovell

Portland barbershop The Barbers will raise a year’s worth of peanut butter for the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division.

The Sunshine Division offers free food and clothing assistance directly to low-income veterans, families, and seniors six days a week at their N. Portland warehouse as well as 24/7 through their partnership with the Portland Police Bureau who store food boxes at each precinct for immediate dispatch.

The idea for the drive came eight years ago when The Barbers’ owners Don and Alison Lovell reached out to then Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division officer Phil Kent to see how they could use their business to help the division. Don Lovell volunteered at the division's warehouse as a kid. 

"At the time, the Sunshine Division was in desperate need of peanut butter. There had just been a series of recalls for peanut butter in the industry, and as a result, peanut butter was an expensive but desperately needed core food item for our food pantry. Don and Alison Lovell took that need and created the most successful single item food drive this organization has ever had. We use 'The Barbers' Peanut Butter Project' as a model to emulate when encouraging other businesses to host food drives,” said Sunshine Division's Executive Director, Kyle Camberg.  

The Peanut Butter Project

The Barbers' Peanut Butter Project raises more than 20,000 jars of peanut butter a year in addition to funds to purchase peanut butter. This equates to a year supply of peanut butter for the Sunshine Division.

"We feel truly blessed with the generosity that our employees and clients show every year during the Peanut Butter Project. We are proud to be a vehicle for people to be blessings to others." said The Barbers' co-owner, Alison Lovell. 

Each of their 28 Oregon and SW Washington locations offers in-store displays of peanut butter to purchase for $1/jar as well as an opportunity to donate peanut butter or cash at the register. 

This year The Barbers are attempting to increase their peanut butter drive efforts in response to Sunshine Division's second food pantry facility opening in late fall at 124th and SE Stark Street. 

To help The Barbers reach their goal of 30,000 jars of peanut butter,  go to any participating Oregon/SW Washington The Barbers locations between now and October 15th.

To find a The Barbers location nearest you, click here.