Photo by Tim Hirsch

WINDERMERE REALTORS, l-r, Jeremy Strober, Jackie Voegeli, and Sharlys Leszczuk present a check for $2,200 to South County Food Pantry manager Dianne Higdon. The check from Windermere Foundation represents a portion of the commissions earned by the Windermere realtors, including Susan Amort, not pictured.

Windermere Foundation donates $2,200

to South County Food Pantry

By TIM HIRSCH
of the Sun

As they have annually done ever since opening their doors, Pacific City’s Windermere Real Estate office, with the support of the national Windermere Foundation, donated funds to a key local organization earlier this month.

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, Windermere brokers Jacie Voegeli, Jeremy Strober and Sharlys Leszczuk presented a check for $2,200 to Dianne Higdon, manager of the South County Food Pantry. The check represents a portion of the commissions earned by agents at the Windermere office here in Pacific City and donated to Windermere Foundation. (Not present was fellow broker Susan Amort.)

Located in the former sanctuary of Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church that was replaced by a larger facility more than 15 years ago, the food pantry serves families whose budgets are tight.

Higdon said the financial boost will help to fill an ongoing need as the Pantry seeks to maintain the same level of service it has provided for many years in spite of challenging financial times.

“Since COVID, everything’s been crazy,” she added. “My goal is to keep operating at the same level as we possibly can.”

Recently, the food pantry has been providing a crucial food supply to an average of 70 households — or about 185 people — every other Tuesday (12:30-6 p.m.). Higdon said that while there are income guidelines to be eligible, because of the high rent many are faced with, the income allowed is significant.

“We try to be really friendly, really welcoming, and accessible to anybody that meets the criteria,” she added. “And the criteria is pretty easy to meet.”

For their part, the real estate brokers of Windermere were only too happy to make the donation to this resource that’s so critical to so many in the community.

“We have an amount of money for every transaction that goes toward the Windermere Foundation, and then it’s divvied up through our different communities,”  Leszczuk said. “Our principal broker, who is based in Hillsboro, leaves it to us to decide what local organization gets this money. (This year), it was an obvious choice to be the South County Food Pantry.”

“We always pick local South County places to give our Foundation money to,” added Voegeli. “We’re really (committed) to South Tillamook County.”

And Strober said he appreciates that the larger Windermere Foundation gives them the freedom to give back to the area they serve.

“I think it’s great to have the support of our larger company,” he said. “We all live here and know everyone that lives here and want to support our community, and it’s great when the Windermere Foundation allows us to give back locally. It helps us to feel good about who we work for.”

In addition to this one-time donation, the South County Food Pantry depends on support from the community, support that Higdon says she is grateful for.

“There’s always (a need),” she said. “I don’t want to say we don’t have eggs today, we don’t have oatmeal today, we don’t have cereal for you today, we don’t have all those things that make life easier for these people.

“So, this (donation) is huge. The community support that we get is why we can continue to do (this).”

Those wishing to join in the community’s support of the food pantry’s mission to put food on the tables of those in need can donate directly to the effort at the Pacific City branch of Oregon Coast Bank, which is located at 35490 Airport Way. They can also contact Higdon at sunshineacres@embarqmail.com.

Located at 35170 Brooten Road in downtown Pacific City, Windermere has served the real estate needs of Pacific City for more than a decade. To learn more about their services, visit windermere.com or call 503-483-1133.

CURRENT ISSUE