Helping Fuel a Better Future
Feeding the Homeless in Portland, Oregon.
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Back in 2011 'Occupy Portland' set up over 300 tents to house, feed, and check on some of the city's homelessness population. |
Today, tri-county officials have reported that there are more than 7,000 homeless people living within the Portland City metro area and that number only seems to be increasing. Not only do these people have to worry about not having a stable shelter but one of the biggest issues for them is their lack of food and water. Every single day these individuals wonder about what their next meal will be and where it will come from. Although this blog post is focusing on the homeless populations in Portland it's important to know that Feeding America has stated over 400,000 people in the whole state of Oregon have reported 'hungry'. That is equivalent to 1 in 10 people, so the resources I will mention below are not only for the homeless but anyone who feels they may be in need as well.
Never be afraid to ask for help.
Now, let's face it, living in 2023 is really hard. Prices for everything (food, housing, transportation) have all gone up and continue to do so every year while the working wage is still trailing so far behind. When even working people are struggling to live "comfortably" that should be a sign that something is wrong. I believe that the issues of hunger and homelessness are mostly due to the government, or the lack thereof. The whole world seems to be in an economic crisis whether you want to believe so or not. Simply, living is more expensive than ever before and the government (in America at least) is not doing (what feels like) anything to help its people. I understand that the "government" as a whole entity is not able to work direct within every city around the nation to help every individual, but that's then where they should be working together with local officials and state governments to solve these issues. Because at this point the quality of life some people are living is no longer acceptable and hasn't been for a while now. Food is an extreme necessity to life that everyone should have access to, but that's just not the reality. Luckily, small steps are being taken and there are people and places around Portland, Oregon that want to help in any way they can.
Before we get into the details about how to help this issue, please share this information around to anyone who may want to help or someone who may be in need because one less hungry person is one step closer to moving them off the streets which can help clean up the town creating a nicer, more beautiful, and safe environment for everyone involved. This is not an issue we should fight alone. Strength is in numbers. Volunteer and share today!
The long line of people outside Blanchet House
To start, Blanchet House is an extremely beneficial resource and also the oldest known food bank program in Portland I could find. The business has been operating since 1952 and provides not only food but some housing, clothes, and other services if needed as well. They're open six days a week Monday through Saturday from various times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ranging from 6:30am to about 6pm. The owners and volunteers have a very 'charitable philosophy' as stated on their website along side some amazing core values like, hospitality, dignity, hope, integrity, community, and authenticity. Throughout the last 70 years Blanchet has claimed to have severed over 16 million meals and have helped over 10,000 men get 'back into society'. Blanchet House truly understands the racial inequities that exist in our world and even have a "Commitment to Equity" section listed on their "About Us" page. This business is not only doing a great thing but stand for a great cause as well, they are currently located at 310 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR 97209, so please feel free to go find them if you are or someone you may know is in need of anything.
Blanchet House is an extremely amazing program to volunteer for if you are looking at directly helping this cause. This link to their website has so much information I would definitely consider checking out if you want to help fuel our community, https://blanchethouse.org/volunteer-in-portland/. Helping feed these people is just one step to getting them off the streets and into permanent housing. Showing these homeless populations that there are real people who care will be very motivating and could potentially provide them with enough encouragement to make them want to help themselves again.
Potluck in the Park (PIP) is also one of the longest standing food kitchens in all of Portland. They only serve once a week on Sundays which is a downfall but they have been giving back to the community for over 30 years now (Over 1,500 weeks consecutively). They are entirely non-profit and use the money they receive for more resources to give back to the homeless. They also work completely with volunteers, serving about 500-1,000 people each week. Their office building is located right down the street from Blanchet House at 798 NW Glisan St but on their website say they are temporarily serving food under the Hawthorne Bridge for the winter. One last thing with the holidays coming up, PIP states that every Christmas they go out and serve a huge family dinner for anyone wanting to join! During this time they have live music for their guests, phones available to contact loved ones, and even stockings with little goodies. This organization really cares about the people they serve and because of it they have built an amazing community.
If you would like to be apart of this community click the link here, https://www.handsonportland.org/opportunity/a0C1H000014E1KnUAK/potluck-in-the-park-meal-service-age-12-hands-on. As I mentioned, this organization only meets once a week and only for a few hours so if Sunday's are free for you I would highly recommend checking this program out.
Here I have also provided links for volunteers who wish to help this growing cause for nonspecific locations/food banks, https://www.feedingamerica.org/take-action/volunteer and https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/get-involved/volunteer. Volunteering within your local community will not only make you feel good in the moment and at the end of the day but will also create real meaningful relationships that could potentially work towards ending your city's homelessness issues. Often these homeless individuals don't have too many, if any, other friends that aren't also homeless so if you're able to show up, spread kindness, and support them it might mean more than you think. More links are provided below about how and where to help! This issue is not something that will just magically go away one day, so we must work together to help end it everyday at a time
There are also so many local churches and organizations in town who would also like to help fight this cause in any way they can. I know not everyone has access to a phone or computer but even with a quick Google search you can find so many different options near Portland. We have to be working together to solve this massive issue and local citizens realize the government is not helping so they must take matters into their own hands. A useful side note for anyone hesitant to attend is that most places don't ask for proof of income or anything of the sort because they are just there to help! The only requirement that is mandatory is that you are hungry! Below I have provided some extra links to all of the different kinds of resources that are available within and around downtown Portland. Please remember, there are always people willing to help and that you are not alone. Have a warm and full winter everyone.
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