The Pongo Fund (2025)

16/11/2025

She wanted to know about our exchange policy. That’s why she called.

Her dog did not like his food. It was a fish protein and her dog liked chicken. It had The Pongo Fund label on it and she wanted to know if she could exchange it. Her son bought it for her when she could not afford any.

She asked how many adult sons I knew that bought their Mom dog food without being asked. She said she thought it was a very nice thing for him to do. I told her yes, it definitely was.

At first I thought it was a joke, this phone call, then quickly realized it wasn’t. And at that point I wanted to crawl through the phone and hug this woman who had a voice like honey.

It’s true. Pet food can be returned or exchanged in almost all cases to the store where purchased. Normally all that’s needed is the original bag or can and the receipt.

She had the bag but not the receipt. And she wanted to know if that would be a problem.

I asked her what kind of food it was and she told me. I asked her if there was anything else on the bag. She said there were some words written on it but they didn’t make sense.

But they made sense to us.

Based on those words, we had given that food out at a Pop Up Pongo Pet Food Bank in Beaverton, Oregon. We shared a lot of food that day. Every now and then, based on where we were, we added some words so we knew where that food was used.

This wonderful woman did not know who The Pongo Fund was. She just saw our name and phone number on the bag. All she knew was that she had mentioned to her son that she was struggling extra hard and was almost out of dog food. Not long after that he was there with dog food.

Her call to us was entirely one of inquiry and kindness, not anything else. She was struggling and looking for some good news. Her dog was hungry.

She truly could not have been nicer.

Her dog was a 14-year-old Golden. I asked what kind of food she normally fed him. By luck we had a couple bags on hand. We asked if her dog also liked wet food. She said he’d eat wet food all day and all night if he could, but she rarely fed it to him since it was too expensive. She said it was even more expensive than her own food, so they were both on a budget based on her social security of about $900.

I thanked her for calling, and said we would be happy to replace the dog food. She said that would be great, and she complimented me on how easy we were making this. I thanked her for taking the time to call, because we wanted to make sure her dog had plenty of food for dinner.

She lived in a building where people live who survive on $900 per month. She had no transportation and asked if her son would need to return the first bag of food and then get the replacement. I told her we would be able to deliver it and she said that would be great.

We dropped the new food off, and agreed to let her share the first bag with one of her neighbors who was having a really hard time. She said he needed dog food even more than her but could not afford any. We told her it was very nice of her to share that food. We also brought along a few cans too, just for an extra surprise. Because extra surprises are always fun.

Her dog was one of the world’s best dogs. Greeted us with a stuffie in his mouth and when we didn’t tug on it he got a different one that we might like better. We definitely tugged on that one.

The woman was deep into her social security years and not in the best of health, but she greeted us with such a warm smile. I don’t know for sure, but I had the feeling she might have been a teacher many years ago.

We played with her dog a little bit more and then stepped toward the door.

She said she would tell her son how kind we were in handling the exchange. I asked her instead, if she would please keep it a secret. That not everyone would want to know that their gift did not work. She said that made sense and she would keep it a secret.

She talked about him for a moment more. That he was such a good son and she always looked forward to their visits. We told her that he sounded like the best kind of son and how lucky she was to have him close.

She thanked us again and we thanked her again. She shared a couple more tidbits about her son and his kindness. The way she talked about him was every son’s dream.

We hope she never finds out he was homeless.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

13/11/2025

An 8-year-old girl called The Pongo Fund.

It was another call for cat food.

Yes. She was 8.

Her Mom sat next to her, too weak to make the call. But we could hear her oxygen tank in the background.

The daughter repeated the words her Mom had written down for her. Some of them she read word for word, some of them she improvised. Even though she likely did not know what improvised meant. She did it anyway. And she did it well.

We got all the information we needed. Every question answered. With cat food and cat litter as the goal, we succeeded, all of us together.

Then her Mom said something in the background. Ask them if…

Her voice was soft, but we heard her clearly. Words that hit even harder when her daughter repeated them.

“Do you have any food for Thanksgiving.”

Words no one should need to ask. Especially not an 8-year-old.

In that moment we could have reminded them we are a Pet Food Bank. But we didn't.

We just said yes.

The Pongo Volunteer we called could not have been more excited to get our call. She loves to cook and she loves to help. She’s already called them back to plan the menu.

I have a feeling they will be enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The Pongo Fund is a Pet Food Bank. But sometimes, maybe we’re a little bit more…

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

12/11/2025

Two cats. No food. A little girl. And the Mom who loved them all.

She balanced on one leg then two then back to one. Maybe not balancing as much as just a little bit of fidgeting. I think she was six.

Had never been to a pet food bank before. She held her Mom’s hand for support. Her eyes were huge as she took it all in.

Surrounded by what might have seemed like a million bags and boxes, all different shapes and sizes and colors. She was quiet. She said hello only when her Mom told her it was ok.

Her Mom had been crying but we’re not sure if the daughter knew that. Mom’s eyes were red, we saw it. Mom apologized for that. She said a few months ago everything was going well. They even adopted two bonded kitties. Their little family of four was solid.

Not invincible. But solid.

She felt they were strong enough to weather the storm.

But the storm came from all directions, and all at once. They were no longer solid. Even though Mom had a full time job, the tide turned fast. Feeding two cats was no longer possible. She said not only could they not afford the cat food, they could not afford the cat litter either.

Many details were shared. None of them needed to be shared, but for some reason, the Mom said she felt safe at The Pongo Fund and just started talking.

Mom called the group they adopted from to talk about returning the cats. It needed to happen soon. Since they were bonded, it meant they both needed to go back together. They told her they had no room, but she should call The Pongo Fund.

Mom stood in front of us and asked what kind of person returns two cats. She asked the question, but she wasn’t really looking for an answer.

She said she was a good person. And now she was a good person returning two cats. That’s why she had been crying. She did not yet know what she was going to tell her daughter.

The little girl had hop skipped her way across the floor to a bunch of bags of dog food that were in shiny bags with bright lettering. She seemed to be comfortable there, next to those bags. She was sort of talking to them.

A minute later Mom cried again when we told her The Pongo Fund could help. And she cried again when she saw the help we were able to provide. Her little girl ran to her side and asked what was wrong.

Mom said what Mom’s say. She said nothing was wrong.

We got them loaded up with food, litter and other stuff. Some really good other stuff they never saw coming. But mostly, we sent them off knowing their little family of four was safe. And that their two sweet kitty friends would grow old with them, all of them together. The dream for all families.

The little girl blew kisses as she left. She had no idea what had just occurred. She said she liked it at The Pongo Fund. She said she wanted to come back again and stay longer.

We told her we looked forward to seeing her again soon.

Maybe one day she’ll be running the place.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

10/11/2025

We saw Tilly again.

Every few weeks The Pongo Fund delivers dog and cat food to the Section 8 building she lives in. Sometimes we see her in front. On those days she sometimes asks us for cat food.

She doesn’t call it cat food. She calls it different things. Thanks to a bit of dementia sometimes she can’t remember what to call it, but we know what she means.

So she just says what she says and it’s ok because we know that Tilly is asking for a small bag of cat food, about 16 ounces worth of crunchies.

She could get cat food from the desk in the lobby like the other people in the building. But she doesn’t have a cat. She used to, but that was several years ago. So every now and then she gets her little ziploc bag of cat food and she grasps it in her hands like her most prized possession.

Maybe then or maybe the next day, and then maybe for several more weeks after that, she will visit the bench down the street and feed the Crows with that food. And the Crows will make sure she enjoys her day.

Tilly and her Crows.

When we saw her she was sitting outside next to her health care aide, the aide who visits once or twice a week to check on her. This time the aide was new and when she saw us giving the cat food to Tilly, she thought it was important for us to know that Tilly did not have a cat.

Every word she shared was based in care. She feared for this little bag of cat food going to someone who did not have a cat. We told her we appreciated her concern very much.

Because we really did.

But we also told her that we knew Tilly did have a cat. And it was tucked deep inside both her heart and her head, and it was named Milo or Jax or Billy or Bella or Max or Chowder or Cricket or Rose or Simba or any number of other names.

So to think that our little bag of cat food that cost us pennies could now fill the heart and head of a woman who would stretch those kibble over the next many weeks in all the ways she would, well, we think that is work well done.

And how proud that kibble must be.

There is so much going on in the world. How cool it is that a little bag of cat food can bring so much joy.

For Tilly and her Crows.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

31/10/2025

Say Hello to the Pongo Joymakers.

They sing. They dance. They do it all at The Pongo Fund.

But most of all, they bring Joy.

This past Sunday was our annual Pongoween. And this is the group that made it happen. Greeting everyone with a smile and a Boo, and reminding those to enjoy the fantastic assortment of treats, no tricks required.

For many of those we help, these are the only Halloween treats they will celebrate. And that’s what made this even more special. Because we want everyone to feel Seen and Heard and Loved.

And sometimes, a giant Snickers or Twix can help do that. Even better, though the photo doesn't show it, that table is 5 feet long and packed with goodies.

And yes, we had plenty of treats for the doggies and kitties too.

These are just four of the hundreds of people I get to Pongo with. And I am very luck for that.

We were a bit sad though, as our fifth Pongoween Joymaker was not with us, but at home nursing her newly repaired bionic knee. We have a feeling she’ll be showing her ghoulish scars to all the Trick or Treaters.

But we know she’ll be back with us next Pongoween.

Until then, we Pongo On…

BOO!

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

30/10/2025

40 million meals.

It’s been a hard week. A hard month. A hard year.

Yet here we are.

Doing what we’ve been doing for the past 18 years since I started filling my car with dog and cat food to feed the community.

Since that first day, The Pongo Fund has provided 40 million meals.

But this time it’s different.

I’ve posted far less this year. I’ve rarely asked for help. I’m not even sure if I’ve posted any fundraising requests this year. Everyone is hurting. We are too.

Our stack of empty food pallets is growing. Every empty pallet means more hungry dogs and cats had dinner. But replacing that food is equally important so we can be ready for the next call. And that's not always easy. I’ll talk more about that soon.

But for now, here's one of those calls to think about.

An older woman, her words, not ours, needed help feeding kitty friend Abigail. She adopted Abigail a few months ago from a local humane society. She called the place she adopted from to tell them she would need to return Abigail, it was that bad. They told her to call The Pongo Fund. The woman had never heard of us. Luckily the person she was talking with had.

Abigail loved dry food. She would chase it and pounce on it and bat it back and forth and piece by piece she would crunch it until each piece was gone. The woman said that’s what she needed. Food like that. We told her we had that food. The kind cats could chase and pounce on and crunch.

The woman was very specific and wanted to be extra sure it was the right food, since getting to The Pongo Fund would be hard for her. She would be walking miles to get to us. She just wanted to make sure she did not return home empty handed.

At the end of the call she asked about wet food. It caught us off-guard, since we had already talked about wet food. Abigail did not like wet food as much as the dry, and that's why we were providing the dry food only. But all of a sudden, she asked about a salmon stew type wet cat food. Did we have that?

We did. But we were confused, since Abigail was a dry food girl.

We asked her Mom again.

Yes she said, Abigail was dry food only.

But Abigail’s Mom wasn’t.

And in the midst of talking about food for Abigail, Abigail’s Mom asked if maybe, just maybe, could we include a few cans of the salmon stew.

For her.

Not for Abigail.

She was ashamed. She was also hungry.

She said we were doing enough already. Our cat food would allow her to keep Abigail and not need to surrender her. But if we had a few extra cans, maybe three of them, that would feed her for the week.

It’s hard right now. Very hard. And calls like this are becoming more common than uncommon.

I already know we'll be returning calls until 8:55pm tonight. Our voice mail keeps filling up and we return them fast as we can. But luckily I already know what I'll be having for dinner tonight. And thankfully it won't be cat food.

Thankfully on that day, Abigail’s Mom did not either.

A Pongo Volunteer delivered food for Abigail. A bag of crunchies for Abigail to chase and eat. Three cans of salmon stew cat food just in case. We can't always deliver, the need is too great. But when we can, we do.

And also included were two bags of groceries to fill the empty fridge of the woman who earlier that day thought she was going to lose her cat. Our Pongo Volunteer did that shopping on her own because she knew how she would feel if her Mom's fridge was empty.

For those of you who read my too-many-words, you know I don’t proofread. Too many words, too many commas, too many of this and that and too many everything. All I do is write it and post it and get back to work.

Because somewhere another Abigail needs food.

To each one of you here in this moment with us, thank you for being here. Because everything we do, we do together.

There is a donation button on The Pongo Fund website if you'd like to help. But it's not required. That you have read these words, that you're here with us, that's a gift already. And I thank you for that.

If you can, you can also donate here too, on this post.

Things are going to get worse before they get better.

Either way, The Pongo Fund is here to help.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

22/10/2025

The first thing she did was ask about dog food.

She would normally ask about restaurants or places to get a massage. That was her previous life. This time she asked about dog food. Because the dog food was almost gone.

Where they checked in was not a four star hotel. But if such places had stars, she for sure would have given them four.

We didn’t know the place. That’s not uncommon. Because it was the sort of place you only find when you need to find it. And she did.

Her dog’s name could have been Bruce or Petey or Pepper or John Wayne or any number of names. We didn’t know. We just knew that he was little and he was old. And that he’d been kicked.

They left because it wasn’t safe anymore, not for either of them. They connected with a network that keeps people safe. They were told where to go and how to get there.

The Pongo Fund doesn’t know any of those details. We just knew they needed dog food.

We provide dog and cat food to many safe havens. But we didn’t know about this one. They did not have dog food. That’s all we knew. And now they had someone needing it.

She’d driven for days, finally was safe, and the first thing on her mind was getting dog food.

She told us the food they were used to getting. But she said it didn’t matter, anything would help, that her little dog was easy to please. We told her we had the food. We had both the dry food he liked, and the wet food he loved. He didn’t have many teeth left, that’s why he loved stew. But he still liked his crunchies, so we made sure to include those too.

A new leash, harness, collar, some toys, a cushy bed, a small travel kennel. We included it all. And a $15 gift card for the pet supply store a few blocks away, someone had won that in a raffle and gifted it to us. That way they could pick out their favorite treats together, for this little dog starting life anew, just like his Mom.

We met for the handoff. There were two of us. Me, and someone who knew lots more than me. And that was so we could get a quick read on anything else that might be needed, the sort of things that go beyond words.

Because when someone wears a medium and you give them an extra large, they will still say thank you. And they will mean it. But when someone wears a medium and you give them a medium, well, let’s just say, the smile is a bit brighter.

We delivered what was needed to be delivered, the person with me delivered a few more things the next day. They were the basics. But they were the right basics.

That was a few months ago.

The woman and her dog that is not named Bruce or Petey or Pepper or John Wayne were now in a small apartment. She was working again. They had survived their life changes. She thanked us again for the help we provided.

But that’s not why she called.

She called because she was volunteering for a group and met a woman trying to find extra courage. That woman had a dog. She was afraid to stay and afraid to leave. The woman we helped knew first hand what that was like.

That’s why she called.

A few days later we went to meet that woman.

Once again there were two of us. Me, and someone who knows lots more than me…

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

18/10/2025

She adopted Frankie Bananas 10 years ago. That wasn’t the plan.

She fostered for a shelter in her town and Frankie was not doing well. Frankie wasn’t his name but someone decided it would be, so that was the name written on his card. All they knew was that he was miserable.

A little dog mix of Cairn and several other ingredients, he came in at about 8 pounds. They knew nothing about him except he was thin and matted and covered in fleas.

And he wanted nothing to do with anyone.

That’s when some of the volunteers decided to put together a Frankie Train. Like a meal train, but only for Frankie. There were four of them, and everyone would get him for a week. It would be a group foster. They felt that by working together they’d be able to help him find his inner Frankie again. At least, that was the plan.

Patience was key. They would do nothing except what he wanted to do. He would eat when he wanted to eat, he would sleep when he wanted to sleep.

It would be Frankie’s World and these four were just along for the ride.

She never knew she had been played. At least, not at first. When she was nearing the end of her first week with the Frankie Train, the next foster had an emergency and asked if she could keep him another week. She said sure. Frankie was no trouble at all. He was calm and quiet and pretty much wanted to be left alone.

He was also sad. And you don’t rush sad.

Around Day 10 Frankie went nuts. Total meltdown. But it was the best kind of meltdown. It was as if he suddenly realized all the toys and all the beds were for him. He power zoomed through the house like a pro. Zigging and zagging this way and that, sliding into doors and furniture and falling down and jumping back up and doing it all over again.

This woman told the others that all of a sudden, he went bananas.

And that is how Frankie Bananas became Frankie Bananas.

Of course the other three on the Frankie Train decided that with this breakthrough, maybe she should work with him another week. She wasn’t really working with him. He was just doing whatever he wanted to do. He still wasn’t out of his shell, and he was a long way from being happy. But every now and then, he would go bananas.

So there was hope.

The second week turned to three, and he continued to find his inner Frankie. When it was time for week four, everyone decided she had done such a great job that maybe Frankie should stay with her and not move from place to place. There was a group giggle among those friends and that’s when she figured it out.

Frankie Bananas wasn’t going anywhere. He was home.

As the years went on they moved to Oregon. And like for many, there were some hard times. They found The Pongo Fund at one of the many human food banks we provide food to, and thankfully Frankie loved our food.

One day she was in Portland for an appointment and she called The Pongo Fund to see if she could get some food. We had been working offsite all day and had just gotten back, and she was five minutes away so the timing was perfect.

And that’s when we learned about Frankie Bananas. It wasn’t a long story. But it was a good story. He was doing great, living life on his terms. Happy and healthy and still zooming whenever he wanted to zoom.

She left with a bag of dry food and several cans. Frankie loved his wet food but like for many, it had become too expensive for her to buy except every now and then. So we were happy to help with that too.

She no longer fostered for the shelter in her old town, but she was still friends with those who did. And they were quick to tell her they had another Frankie kind of dog. A sweet little guy, totally shut down.

They talked about Frankie Bananas and celebrated the last ten years. Because sometimes in rescue, all you can do is talk and hope and wait for the animals to do the rest.

Someone made a joke about the old Frankie Train. Would she want to be part of a Frankie Train for this new dog? Of course it wasn't possible, she didn't live there anymore.

But when friends with friends talk about dogs, things happen.

And that’s how Frankie Bananas found a friend. All the toys and all the beds are ready for him when he's ready.

The woman shared her story just to share. She didn’t need food or anything, and she knew the food bank near her house still had regular shipments from The Pongo Fund.

She just wanted us to know that we were a big part of her life. There had been many days that she worried about having enough food for Frankie Bananas, and she always knew we were there to help. And that made all the difference.

She said she was calling her friends to let them know that Frankie had a new friend. And she said The Pongo Fund was one of her friends, and that’s why she called.

To say thank you.

(I think we might have helped another dog named Frankie Bananas once before too, but I'm not sure. But it's a good name.)

For all the Frankie Bananas out there.

And to every one of you who works in rescue, doing all you can to help everywhere you can. We thank you. You are Heroes.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

13/10/2025

There were about 50 large bags.

They went to a place where people don’t like to ask for help.

So that’s where we helped.

A call from a woman who said she heard about The Pongo Fund from someone at her church. Her neighbor had a dog and she knew the dog was hungry. How did she know? Because she saw the man losing weight, the man who owned the dog. She knew he was going hungry so his dog did not.

We asked if she had a dog. She said she did. We asked if her dog was hungry too. She said, “honey, around here, everyone’s dog is hungry.”

We spoke with the man at the church. He was the Pastor. He had begun keeping a list of things people needed. He told them if he ever won the lottery everyone would get everything, or something like that. Except he didn’t play the lottery. But he dreamed big. And he had Hope.

He knew many people were asking for dog food. He didn’t have a dog but growing up he did and he knew tough times. He also knew that this small town they called home was a resilient community. It was a take care of your neighbors kind of place.

Even when it seemed like every neighbor needed help.

But that’s when he had the most Hope.

We set a Pop Up Pongo Day. He would gather the people from his list, the people needing dog food. He would provide the people and we would provide the food. It was not a long visit. We were there, they were there. Hugs and handshakes outnumbered the people because many of them hugged more than once.

No one there knew The Pongo Fund. Our name could have been anything. But they knew hunger. And that’s why we were there.

They didn’t have a clue who we were, just that we came from Portland. That was fine. In fact, that’s what we’re used to. The majority of those we help have never heard of us. We feed their pets, but they haven’t got a clue who we are. Because the great majority of our work is behind the scenes.

The Pongo Fund. We are the Quiet Helpers.

There was no media or radio or TV for the event. They didn’t have that. Not in this little town. The Pastor was the messenger. He said he would have the people there. Based on that, The Pongo Fund’s job was to load up and show up. This event was just for dog food, but we brought some cat food too, because we know.

We weren’t there long. We didn’t stick around for accolades or pats on the back. These people needed to get back to work.

The thing about hunger, is that it’s always there.

No matter how much we help, it’s always like the first time. Because today’s breakfast doesn’t feed tomorrow.

Because we know in the blink of an eye, tomorrow is waiting.

Cold and hungry and too proud to ask for help.

And that’s the place we’ll go next.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

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