Unitus Community CU Pledges $30K to SnowCap Community Charities New Covenant Campus

Portland, Ore., December 21, 2021 – Unitus Community Credit Union has pledged $30,000 to SnowCap Community Charities’ new Covenant Campus project, a multi-year capital campaign that will build and sustain an additional campus. This new campus will significantly expand SnowCap’s capacity by separating its two largest programs: its food pantry and clothing closet. The new facility will also provide a much-needed community hub that will include a new warehouse and ADA space.

During normal operations, SnowCap’s building is bursting at the seams with increased demand and storage of its food pantry, clothing closet, and other programs. In addition, SnowCap offers the only free clothing program available to all low-income people in its service area, including some of the lowest income census tracts in Portland’s metro area: the Rockwood neighborhood, and large parts of East Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, and Wood Village. In the last two years and especially since the pandemic, SnowCap simply doesn’t have the space to serve and support its clients. That’s where Covenant Campus comes in.

SnowCap’s new Covenant Campus space will help grow SnowCap’s charitable efforts through significant expansion of its services and a new 12,000+ square foot warehouse. With the need for increased space more dire than ever and more neighbors struggling to make ends meet, SnowCap is rising to respond with increased space and programming. Unitus is honored to help SnowCap meet that need.

“We’re grateful for this incredibly generous investment that will benefit thousands of families for decades to come,” said Kirsten Wageman, SnowCap Executive Director. “Unitus has been a handson community partner for many years. From volunteering to pack food boxes, baking cookies for folks we serve, sponsoring events and more, Unitus is always ready to pitch in to help. We’re proud to serve the community together!”

SnowCap’s Covenant Campus will allow SnowCap to store and provide more flexible times for families to visit the clothing closet, increasing the time families have to browse and select clothes. In addition, it will create spacious shopping and lobby areas that are welcoming and warm, providing opportunities for people who may not need a food pantry (or are hesitant to visit one) to access SnowCap’s other resources. Perhaps most importantly, it will establish a permanent home for special programs and events, reinstating and expanding SnowCap’s class offerings and volunteer trainings, and gaining capacity for events and engagement yet to come.

“It’s a joy and honor to uplift SnowCap’s efforts and deepen our partnership for this critical community need,” said Steven Stapp, Unitus President and CEO. “This is the kind of critical, impactful work we aim to provide to our community, and that our neighbors need most.”

At Unitus, we’re dedicated to doing the right thing for our community with neighborhood branches, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life for all people in our communities. Visit unitusccu.com to learn more about our commitment to personally walking our members toward bigger and brighter personal bests.