Tigard-area residents with backyard fruit trees now have a place to donate their harvest without crossing the Willamette River.

The Portland Fruit Tree Project opened a refrigerated produce hub on Thursday, July 23, at Bethlehem House of Bread, 9055 S.W. Locust St. T

he outdoor fridge is the nonprofit's first west-side location and its second overall, joining an existing hub near Alberta Park in Northeast Portland.

An $8,000 gift from the Starseed Foundation, a Portland-based nonprofit, fully funded the new site, according to KPTV. Portland Fruit Tree Project Executive Director Heather Keisler Fornes called the donation "transformational," saying it let the organization act immediately rather than years from now.

Bethlehem House of Bread, a food pantry overseen by Tigard United Methodist Church, provides groceries, meals, and clothing to people facing food insecurity.

Pastoral Director Jeff Lowery said the partnership addresses a growing gap: recent reductions in USDA funding have caused a sharp decline in food shipments from key partners including Oregon Food Bank.

"We get much less food from our partners like Oregon Food Bank, so finding local partnerships like this is the wave of the future to meet the demand," Lowery told KPTV on Friday, July 24.

The timing is urgent. Approximately 70,000 Oregonians lost food assistance benefits after changes to federal SNAP work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas as reported by KPTV. The Oregon Capital Chronicle separately confirmed that about 708,000 Oregonians received SNAP in April 2026, roughly 70,000 fewer than a year earlier.

Amanda Orozco, policy manager for Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, told KPTV on Friday, July 24, that pantries across the state are running out of fresh produce and that families who used to bring home five cans of food now leave with one.

Tigard Mayor Yi-Kang Hu and Oregon Rep. Sue Rieke Smith of House District 26 attended the Thursday, July 23, grand opening, according to Your Oregon News.

Last year, volunteers distributed an estimated 28,000 pounds of fruit through the Portland hub alone, project officials said. Growing demand from community partners made finding a west-side location an immediate priority in 2026.

Residents who want to donate homegrown fruit can drop it off at the outdoor refrigerator at 9055 S.W. Locust St. Donors weigh the produce on provided scales, scan a QR code inside the fridge to alert the Portland Fruit Tree Project, and receive a thank-you note and tax receipt.