In a neighborhood as historic and complex as Portland’s Old Town, revitalization doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through steady presence, through people willing to invest not just resources, but belief. And through organizations that see possibility where others only see challenge.
That belief is what brought Feed the Mass to Old Town.
Founded by chef and community advocate Jacobsen Valentine, Feed the Mass is a Portland-based nonprofit addressing food insecurity while supporting education, workforce development, and entrepreneurs connected to the food ecosystem. The decision to plant roots in Old Town, however, wasn’t driven by square footage or affordability alone. It was driven by intention.
“We weren’t looking for the easiest place to grow,” Valentine shared. “We were looking for a place where our presence could actually mean something.”
Choosing Old Town
Old Town is one of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods, rich in history and character. It has also carried the weight of economic disruption, safety concerns, and declining foot traffic, realities that have caused many organizations to hesitate when considering a long-term presence.
For Feed the Mass, those realities became a reason to lean in.
“There are a lot of organizations doing important work around houselessness,” said Valentine. “That work matters. But we kept asking ourselves: what about the broader community? Where do families fit? Where do students and neighbors fit?”
Feed the Mass saw an opportunity to help answer that question.
By intentionally locating its new facility in Old Town, the organization aims to create an access point, one that brings people into the neighborhood for education, training, food programs, and shared community experiences. Not as spectators, but as participants.
“When people come here for education, for food, for connection, it changes the feel of the neighborhood,” Valentine explained. “It creates comfort. It creates energy. It helps people see Old Town as a place to be again.”
Inside the Nourish Building
Housed in the historic Blagen Block building, Feed the Mass’s new Old Town location, known as the Nourish Building, is designed to be more than a kitchen or office. It is a community hub, supporting daily meal service while creating space for education, collaboration, and connection.
Inside the building, Feed the Mass is expanding its ability to serve nutritious meals to community members facing food insecurity, host culinary and workforce training programs, support food-based initiatives, and welcome families, students, and neighbors into a shared, accessible space. The goal isn’t just to deliver services, it’s to help restore activity, purpose, and pride to the neighborhood.
“If someone walks past our building and sees people coming in and out — kids, families, students — that matters,” said Valentine. “That visibility changes perception. It shows that Old Town is alive and worth investing in.”
One of the most anticipated elements of the Nourish Building is the affordable neighborhood grocery store planned for the left side of the first floor. Scheduled for build-out later this year, the store is designed to serve Old Town and surrounding downtown neighborhoods — areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food.
Accessible by MAX and multiple bus lines, the grocery store is intentionally designed around regular use.
“This grocery store is about regularity,” Valentine explained. “We want people coming here weekly, not just for special events or services but for everyday life.”
That steady foot traffic is central to the vision. While Old Town is already home to museums, cultural institutions, and small production businesses, the grocery store is meant to create a new rhythm that brings neighbors back consistently and helps daily life return to the neighborhood.
Building Momentum and Inviting Others In
Feed the Mass’s investment in Old Town is not happening in isolation. Across downtown Portland, organizations and businesses are beginning to return, drawn by affordability, collaboration, and a shared desire to help shape what comes next.
Valentine points to a growing ecosystem rather than a single solution.
“We see ourselves as part of an ecosystem,” he said. “Sometimes you’re an anchor. Sometimes you’re a catalyst. What matters is showing up consistently and doing the work.”
That philosophy is reflected in Feed the Mass’s own investment. The organization has committed more than $300,000 of its own funds to purchase the building. All capital intentionally invested as a long-term statement of belief in Old Town and its future.
“This isn’t an investment to grow our organization for profit,” Valentine said. “It’s an investment in creating opportunity for the community.”
As the grocery store build-out approaches, Feed the Mass is actively inviting others to invest alongside them — from funding partners and organizations seeking long-term space within the Nourish Building, to collaborators interested in shared programming and leadership. The organization is also working to expand its Board of Directors, with a goal of growing from four to eleven members.
“There’s an opportunity in Old Town that you don’t really see anywhere else in Portland,” Valentine said. “If organizations are looking for a place to plant roots, why not here?”
Why Feed the Mass Chose Oregon Pacific Bank
Bringing a vision like the Nourish Building to life required more than passion. It required a financial partner willing to understand the realities of nonprofit development, community risk, and long-term impact.
Before connecting with Oregon Pacific Bank, Feed the Mass spent weeks speaking with lenders who struggled to see past the surface. Old Town was often viewed as too risky. The nonprofit model didn’t fit traditional expectations. And despite being financially sustainable and largely self-funded, meaningful conversations frequently stalled before they could fully begin.
That changed when Feed the Mass met Eric Deisler, SVP and Commercial Banking Team Lead at Oregon Pacific Bank’s Portland Banking Office.
“Providing funding to Feed the Mass for the purchase of their Nourish Building was an opportunity to work alongside an incredibly impactful nonprofit,” said Deisler, “one that delivers essential services and support across the Portland region. Our Portland banking team is proud to collaborate with Jacobsen and his team and to give back in a meaningful way through our Community Business Banking model.”
In support of the project, Business Oregon also played a critical role. Because Feed the Mass operates as a nonprofit and required a financing structure without personal guarantees, Business Oregon provided support through its Credit Enhancement Fund (CEF) program. That support helped mitigate risk and made it possible for Oregon Pacific Bank to finance the majority of the project, ensuring the Nourish Building could move forward as a long-term investment in Old Town.
“The difference was immediate,” recalled Valentine. “Eric didn’t treat this like a problem to avoid. He treated it like an idea worth understanding.”
Rather than focusing on what made the project unconventional, OPB’s Portland team took the time to understand why Feed the Mass chose Old Town, how the Nourish Building would function, and what long-term success looked like for a mission-driven organization.
“They said, ‘We’re from here. We understand why this matters,’” Valentine shared. “That mattered to us.”
For Feed the Mass, choosing Oregon Pacific Bank wasn’t just about financing. It was about aligning with a partner who respected the mission, understood the community, and was willing to invest in Old Town alongside them.
Building What Comes Next
For Feed the Mass, success isn’t measured only in meals served, though those matter. It’s measured in whether Old Town feels more welcoming, more active, and more connected because they chose to be there.
“This is about creating access,” Valentine said. “Access to food, access to education, access to opportunity. And access to a neighborhood that deserves investment, not abandonment.”
As Portland continues to navigate what revitalization really means, stories like Feed the Mass’s offer a reminder: lasting change doesn’t come from quick fixes. It comes from organizations willing to plant roots, invite others in, and build something meaningful, together.
Learn more about Feed the Mass and support the Nourish Building:
https://www.feedthemass.org/nourishbuilding
