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Melanie shows what it truly means to be a good neighbor.
When she moved into her affordable housing apartment in Beaverton, she quickly noticed something heartbreaking: many seniors and disabled residents weren’t getting the nutrition they needed. Rising food prices made things worse. Melanie didn’t just watch; she acted and opened up her own food bank.
Melanie’s story is one of perseverance and empathy. She knows firsthand what it’s like to live on a low income and struggle to find a safe place to call home. That experience fuels her commitment to her neighbors. She doesn’t just live in her community, she strengthens it.
Her journey began more than two decades ago when she visited a cousin in Medford with her daughter. She fell in love with the area and moved to Holly Tree Village, an affordable housing community for seniors and individuals with disabilities. “I needed a place to live, being disabled and on social security, I did not have anywhere near the income I had when I was working,” she shared. “I love it here, a lot of good people, a lot of diversity.... People try to help each other here as much as possible.”
Her community was one of nine others renovated through the Affordable Housing Preservation Portfolio Project. The project, celebrated with Melanie as our guest resident speaker, was crucial in giving new life to 592 affordable homes, preserving them for decades to come, and improving the lives of its residents. “I love it, I’m so happy this [was] done, because there’s so much need,” she responded when asked about the renovations. “If it wasn’t for this, we’d be living on the street. I’m thankful for the County.... I hope that we get more of them [affordable units], still a lot of people out there that need it.”
But even with a safe home, Melanie saw another need: food insecurity. Affordable housing alone wasn’t enough.
“A lot of these people would go without [food],” she said. “I had somebody in the past tell me that they were very thankful because she needed specialized shoes and couldn’t afford them, and it was a choice between food and that. And that’s what happened a lot.” She stopped abruptly, tearing up, and continued, “It should not be like this.”
As a single mom who raised two kids, working two jobs without any child support, Melanie understands what it means to struggle. So, she stepped up. “I basically took everything on myself.... I knew there was a need for the food, especially because so many people here, around the middle of the month, would run out on resources for food, run out of money... it’s horrid.”
For at least a decade, Melanie has supported food pantries. About 10 years ago, she volunteered with Tualatin Valley Gleaners, a nonprofit that collected food donations from schools, hospitals, and other organizations.
When the COVID-19 virus struck, she started picking up excess food from her local Fred Meyer. “I wanted to do that because it was needed here, and I can’t see all this food being thrown out. It amazes me how much food gets wasted in this country.”
Her biggest milestone came in December 2022 when she officially received 501(c)(3) non-profit status for Hollytree Food Harvest, the food pantry she founded. Operating on-site, management partnered with her to expand capacity, providing a designated room and two refrigerators to store food.
“The reason why the pantry is here is that it helps these people,” she shared, “there’s a need for it by these low-income disabled seniors.” Residents and volunteers work together to make it happen.
And Melanie doesn’t stop at food. She organizes barbeques, ice cream socials, and other gatherings where neighbors share meals and build connections. These moments remind everyone that community is more than housing: it's care, dignity, and belonging.
Towards the end of our conversation, Melanie recalled her brother asking why she does all this. Her answer? “Because I can.”