Participant Guidelines

Participant Guidelines    

The following is a guideline to help you understand the procedures for scheduling shopping and volunteer hours, making your monthly payments, and receiving or discontinuing services. Also included is the location of the warehouse and directions to it. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office staff at 503-339-7710 or by email at information.hopestation@gmail.com.

 Shopping:

 Participants can schedule to shop twice per month.  Here are some things to remember:

  • Occasionally participants will be contacted for additional shopping opportunities, typically to allow for perishable items to be dispersed to participants prior to spoilage, such as fresh produce.  When this occasion occurs, participants will be notified by email or telephone, so please make sure your contact information is current and correct.
  • When shopping, participants need to be mindful of the quantity limits that are noted on the various shelves and/or walls.  If you notice that an item does not have a limit ask the Lead Volunteer if there is a limit.  Remember there are many families receiving food from Hope Station and our mission is to distribute some to as many families as possible.  Note:  If you have a friend or relative who is in need of help, you are not to share Hope Station items since your shopping is for your household only.  Please refer this friend or relative to Hope Station.
  • Be mindful of your time spent shopping.  You should try to limit yourself to no more than 30 minutes in the grocery warehouse. 
  • Participants can get up to ONE cart full of groceries.  PLEASE NOTE:  Participants are not to unload the cart and go back for another shopping time.  We want to have enough for our other families as well. 
  • Young children must never be left alone in shopping cart and must be supervised by you at all times.   

Monthly Payment:

  • The participation fee is due every month as long as you are enrolled with Hope Station, whether you choose to shop in any given month or not.  Please note: Payment must be made on or preferably before your shopping day.  Your monthly payment is important to help Hope Station maintain operations.  If you cannot make the payment previous to your shopping day, bring your payment to the office on the day you are shopping.  Please make sure you ask for a receipt when paying in person.
  • Payments can be made by check or cash.  Checks should be made payable to HSCS and either dropped off or mailed to Hope Station Community Services, Inc., 1337 Madison St. NE, Ste 115, Salem OR 97301. Please ask for a receipt!  If you pay by mail, keep a copy of your check or money order for your records.   
  • Non Sufficient Fees (NSF)- A returned check  will result in a fee of $12 plus the amount of the check.  It must be due in cash or money order prior to shopping. Personal check will no longer accepted.   NOTE: Post-dated checks are not accepted. 

Scheduling Shopping and Volunteering: 

All scheduling is done at the Hope Station office.  Please schedule your shopping trips no less than 2 weeks prior to shopping.   The available shopping space is limited and fills up quickly.  

  • Your failure to schedule in advance may cause you to lose your shopping day.  Lost shopping days may not be made up the following month.
  • If you need to reschedule due to illness or a family emergency, please contact the office at 503-339-7710 or information.hopestation@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Volunteer Work:

Participants are required to volunteer 2 hours per month at Hope Station.  This part of your participation is a valuable aspect to the program as well as to yourself.  It is through the work of the participants that Hope Station is able to maintain its facility and operations.  Hope Station is a service to its members and its members make Hope Station a successful service.

  • Work hours must be completed in one day and for the entire two hours.  There is no splitting of hours between family members.  Two hours need to be completed regardless of how many family members are working. Example: if your family owes 4 hours & you bring 3 people to work, you still have to work 4 hours.
  •   If you wish to volunteer more than 2 hours in one month, that’s very much appreciated.  However, the extra hours will not count for the following month.  In other words, you cannot “bank” hours for future months.  We need your help with at least 2 hours each month.
  • Missed hours must be made up during the following month; you may not be able to shop until some of the owed hours are made up.  
  • Children under the age of 12 cannot accompany you while fulfilling your volunteer hours. Children 12 and older cannot be left unsupervised if they must accompany you.

Discontinuing Services:

If you decide to discontinue participation with Hope Station, please email the office staff at information.hopestation@gmail.com   before the end of the month OR submit a letter to Hope Station stating that you are choosing to discontinue participation.  The letter can be dropped off or sent to: Hope Station at 1337 Madison St. NE, Ste. 115 , Salem, OR 97301. 

  • When discontinuing participation, please be considerate of your agreement as a participant and make sure that all of your participation fees have been paid in full through the month of your discontinuance.  As stated before, monthly participation fees help Hope Station maintain services to all the families of Hope Station.  If you have a financial situation that is preventing you from being able to bring your account current, please contact Pastor Marcia Mattoso immediately so she can discuss your circumstance with you.

Warehouse Location  & Hours of Operation:

  • The warehouse is located at 1337 Madison St. NE, Ste. 115, Salem OR 97301.
  • Hope Station is open the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m; and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. (First and third Tuesday/Saturday during November and December.)
  • Call during normal business hours, Monday 10:30 – 3:00 for additional hours.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the office staff @ 503-339-7710. Thank you for your participation and we look forward to working with you!

God Bless You!
Marci Mattoso, Executive Director
Hope Station Community Services, Inc.