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Project partners:
2019 – present
David van Overeem is the owner of HAB Sauce LLC, a participant of Institutional Purchasing Pathways. Photo credit: FLI Social
Institutional Purchasing Pathways connects health care facilities and other institutions interested in purchasing locally made food and beverage products from Portland-area food businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
Participating hospitals can improve food sourcing, meet goals related to diversity and inclusion, build community resilience, and enhance overall customer happiness.
Participating businesses in this cohort-based project receive a wide range of support from the project team, including stipends, connections to services at the Redd on Salmon Street, and introductions to relevant food systems partners.
A paleta from Ice Queen, a participant of Institutional Purchasing Pathways. Photo credit: FLI Social
Jared Hobbs of B-Line loads client products into a trike for local delivery. Photo credit: FLI Social
Partners
Our core collaborator in administering this project, Health Care Without Harm works to transform health care worldwide. Their aim is for health care to reduce its environmental footprint, become a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.
Solving the challenges of the “last mile” of a distribution network, B-line delivers on the promise that business can be a catalyst for social and environmental change. In this project, B-line developed an ordering and distribution process that would work for participating institutions.
Legacy Good Samaritan is a locally owned, nonprofit health system driven by the mission to improve the health of patients of all ages across the Portland/Vancouver Metro area and mid-Willamette Valley. Legacy has been a champion of this project from the beginning and was the first buyer in the pilot program.
Livelihood NW provided professional business support for IPP cohort members. Throughout Oregon and Washington, they offer a continuum of support to businesses in all industries, at all stages from pre-startup to scaling and growth.
An IPP supporter, Prosper Portland is committed to growing quality jobs, advancing opportunities for prosperity, creating vibrant neighborhoods and communities, and collaborating with partners to create an equitable city with shared prosperity.
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If you’ve ever walked down a path or trail in the wilderness, you know that pathways become firmer, easier, and clearer as more people travel down them. That’s how we envision Institutional Purchasing Pathways. We’re here to walk this path with you to make it easier for you and others in the future.
—Institutional Purchasing Pathways Team
Program partners of IPP. From left: Kyle Robb, Tyrell Comeaux, and Nina Narh, all from Legacy Good Samaritan; Amber Hansen, regional program manager at Health Care Without Harm. Photo credit: FLI Social
IPP Businesses
Get to know the food businesses that have participated in the Institutional Purchasing Pathway cohorts.
Offering traditional Somalian soups, sauces, and catering
Bambuza Hospitality Group is a minority and woman-owned multigenerational business with a portfolio of 13 restaurant and retail locations in Oregon and Washington.
The Cafe de Crepe food truck offers a boost of fun and energy to the afternoon lunch routine. Available for on-site catering, corporate lunches, and at several farmers markets
The mission at Cafe Diaspora is to bridge the gap of no job to first job experience. We are creating a safe space for the refugee and immigrant community where they can break out of their isolation, grow in confidence and thrive.
x̌ast sq̓it (Good Rain) Farm believes that through connection to a place we can rebuild a culture of respect, honor, gratitude and reciprocity.
Inspired by familial roots in Indonesia and Latin America, HAB Sauces focus on the endless possibilities of flavor and how to pair that with different levels of heat.
Hibisbloom was created to share our traditional West African food culture with the rest of the world for a blissful traditional experience with a glass hibiscus flower sip commonly known as Bissap.
Offering plant-based paletas and soft serve
Specializing in Venezuelan street food, we pride ourselves on serving authentic cuisine with traditional flavors and recipes right here in beautiful Portland Oregon!
Artisanal hibiscus brews featuring West-African flowers and seeds, Caribbean spice barks, Asian roots, and a touch of love, to taste the true flavor of Haiti
Khao Man Gai means chicken and rice. It’s flavorful and well-balanced, served with Nong’s signature sauce and a side of soup. Now, you can find Nong’s signature sauce in refrigerators all over the country.
A unique cultural experience! Delicious hand crafted meals, catering, and cooking classes. Tons of vegan options. Wholesome and satisfying.
Tierra del Sol Cuisine brings authentic Mexican-Oaxacan food from recipes passed down from generations to you.
Inspired by a vision of a sustainable future for Himalayan farmers and their families, our mission is to work with Indian and Nepali communities to raise the quality of their tea, so they can earn more and raise the quality of their lives.
Ecotrust Project Team & Services
Want to learn more? Check out the full Ecotrust Staff & Board and all of our Tools for Building Collective Change.
We cultivate leaders and assist with funding sources.
Health Care Without Harm and Ecotrust worked with EARLY PR to develop marketing materials for the IPP project. These marketing materials benefit the institutional buyers, businesses, and partners of the project.
Ecotrust supported the IPP project through operations planning and value-chain coordination with our partners at B-line and all IPP businesses.
Resources
Website
Find more resources for institutions interested in participating in the Institutional Purchasing Pathways program
News
Learn more about ProCureWorks NW, a joint initiative of Health Care Without Harm and Ecotrust to bring together hospitals and schools to facilitate large-scale purchasing change.
