Help The Unhoused Community
People who experience homelessness are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, and shelters are seeing a skyrocketing need for food, critical hygiene supplies and clothing. Here are some of the shelters and resources where you can make a difference.
The Astoria Rescue Mission is providing meals and shelter to the unhoused community in the Astoria area. You can donate here.
Bethlehem Inn provides shelter for adults and children in Bend and Central Oregon. You can donate here.
The Eugene Mission is serving the unhoused community in the Eugene/Springfield at its wellness center. You can donate here.
Impact NW offers a range of senior, family and housing services in their efforts to prevent homelessness. You can donate essential items or make a contribution here.
Oregon Harbor of Hope supports the unhoused communities in the Portland area through its network of shelters, mobile laundry and shower trucks, and hunger relief. You can donate here.
Portland Rescue Mission offers food, shelter and recovery programs for men, women and children. You can donate food, clothing and other needed items here.
The Salvation Army is operating drive-through food pantries and shelters in Portland, Salem and other cities in the region. Learn how to give to your local site here.
Street Roots helps give income opportunities to those experiencing homelessness and poverty by producing a newspaper, now online. Donate here.
Save Time Achieving Your Mission
Brightest is the only social impact, CSR, ESG, and sustainability software platform that gives you the flexibility to fully customize your impact and climate programs around your organization’s needs, goals, mission, strategy, operations, and stakeholders. Whether you need to measure common metrics like Scope 1, 2, and 3 CO2 emissions, waste, donations, or volunteer hours, domain-specific ESG risk & compliance signals, or unique success indicators like meals served or positive health outcomes, our platform gives you the framework to bring your work and reporting to life. With Brightest, you’re able to save time, do more with less, engage every stakeholder group, collect data easier, and measure what matters
Shop For Homebound Seniors And Other Vulnerable People
While some grocery store chains are offering special hours for seniors and the immunocompromised, many people are isolating at home for their safety. Here are some ways you can deliver goods to someone who’s staying home to stay safe.
Shoppers stand in line outside Whole Foods in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Grocery stores around the region have implemented social distancing guidelines during the new coronavirus pandemic, such as making customers stand 6 feet apart and limiting the number of people inside.
Claudia Meza / OPB
The COVID Response Collective in Corvallis has developed a network of helpers in Benton County and the greater Northwest for delivering supplies and connecting people to resources. You can sign up here.
Meals on Wheels People is a nonprofit that helps buy, cook and deliver meals for homebound seniors. CEO Suzanne Washington told OPB’s “Think Out Loud” that the demand for meal deliveries is rising sharply as more seniors stay at home for their safety.
That number is going up every day. Our challenge at this point is that we can produce enough meals as we add people, Washington said. You can donate or sign up to volunteer here.
The Lane County Mutual Aid Network has set up an online group to connect people who need groceries, deliveries, childcare and more. Find the group .
The PDX COVID-19 Mutual Aid Network has set up a volunteer form for those who can help deliver supplies and groceries in the Portland area. You can sign up here.
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Donate To Nonprofits Relief Funds
With venues shutting their doors and live tours canceled worldwide, local musicians and artists are struggling to make ends meet following substantial losses. We’ve put together a breakdown of emergency relief funds for creatives and musicians that you can help support.
The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon is seeking donations for a COVID Relief Fund for community members and families working in Portland’s Jade District. You can donate here.
A Coronavirus Relief Fund has been set up to support families with children in Portland Public Schools obtain educational resources and groceries. You can donate here.
The office of U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland, is continually updating a comprehensive list of emergency relief resources in Oregon that seek donations and volunteers. You can find a full list here.
Oregon Food Bank / Free Food Markets
This page is not an official website of Oregon Food Bank nor other organizations that are mentioned in this page. The purpose of this web page is for my individual project at Portland State University senior capstone class: Effective Change Agent that I share my story of volunteering for Oregon Food Bank and free food markets.
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Use Our Project Calendar
Bring a form you were provided or create one, and keep track of your volunteer hours and obtain the coordinator’s signature for each project you attend. Choose projects that fit your schedule and be aware that our projects are usually 2-4 hours long. To sign up, create an account on our website and then sign up for projects through our Project Calendar.
Remember to track your hours. It’s up to you to submit proof of your community service.
Oregon Food Bank: Help Repack Food For Your Neighbors In Need
Posted by hannah.cherry
Help Repack Food for Your Neighbors in Need at Oregon Food Bank!
Hunger doesnt take a break in the summer, and neither do we! In fact, the summer months are when we need your help THE MOST! When you volunteer, youre changing peoples lives and helping them succeed. Youre giving the gift of hope!
We have food repack shifts at our Portland and Beaverton locations Monday through Saturday throughout the day. Families are welcome.
Visit the Volunteer page at our website here: oregonfoodbank.org/Volunteer to learn more about the opportunities and sign up.
Contact Information
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What Happened To The Dental Van
In partnership with Medical Teams International, we hosted an emergency mobile dental van on the first Friday of the month from . In that time, we helped serve over 426 patients in need of emergency dental care. The van is staffed by volunteer dentists and assistants and is able to offer extractions and fillings to those who do not have private dental insurance and otherwise qualify.Beginning in January 2022, the Dental Van will be parked next door by the Beaverton Resource Center . This move, which has been planned since the BRC opened, will make it easy to connect patients with the other services provided by the BRC. We are excited for the BRC to have everything in place for this move to finally happen! We will continue to provide updates and information on how folks can get an appointment with the Dental Van and how to access other services at the BRC here on our website.
Worker And Restaurant Relief
Restaurant workers have been uniquely impacted by the pandemic, unable to open dining rooms for months and seeing dramatic drops in business. More than 125,000 restaurant workers have lost their jobs across the state, and that number is probably much higher. While many restaurants are running GoFundMes for their workers, there are several larger organizations helping feed and take care of unemployed restaurant workers:
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Food Banks Food Rescues And Distribution Organizations
Oregon Food Bank: The states food bank collects and distributes food to pantries across the state and Clark County, Washington. People can make monetary donations, but the Oregon Food Bank isnt currently accepting individual food donations.
Urban Gleaners: Urban Gleaners gathers donations from individuals, grocery stores, catering companies, and restaurants to help build meals for food-insecure families across the city. Make a monetary donation here, or drop off food at the warehouse from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To schedule a food drop-off, email clare@urbangleaners.org or call 226-8061.
Hillsboro Students Volunteer At Oregon Food Bank And Not Just During The Holidays
Century students visit food bank
Century High School senior Sierra Vidad and her classmates bag pearl onions during a December visit to the Oregon Food Bank. The community service is part of a “Politics and the Community” course at the Hillsboro school.
Louise Skyler, an outreach coordinator at the Oregon Food Bank, sees a spike in volunteers every December.
It does seem that were much busier around the holidays, she said.
But she wishes more people would remember that for those who dont know when or where their next meal will come, there are 11 more hunger-filled months on the calendar. We encourage people to think about us throughout the year, Skyler said.
Count a group of over 50 students at Hillsboro’s Century High School among those who will do just that. During the holiday rush, Trevor Smith’s “Politics and the Community” class spent the morning of Dec. 18 at the food bank’s Beaverton branch, bagging pearl onions. And they’ll return after the holidays, on Jan. 7 and two more times in the spring, to help some more.
At the food bank on Dec. 18, Smith estimated that a previous years class bagged two tons of peas in two hours, and he estimated that this years group would approach three tons of the pearl onions.
The volunteer work fits with the mission of Smiths class: to highlight societal problems that need solving not just through politics, but also with volunteering, activism and community outreach.
— Luke Hammill
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Craft And Donate Personal Protective Equipment
As Oregon and other states continue to burn through personal protective equipment like masks and face shields, crafters have taken it upon themselves to sew DIY protective PPE for medical workers.
Aurora Oliva Ma of Beaverton, Oregon, sewing DIY protective face masks using materials purchased from JoAnn Fabrics, on March 19, 2020.
Arya Surowidjojo / OPB
If you have the sewing equipment, materials and skills, you can sew masks for hospitals. Check in with local online groups such as Crafters Against COVID-19 PDX to see how you can help make and distribute masks safely.
If you have access to medical-grade PPE such as N95 respirators, surgical masks and face shields, consider donating them to medical workers in your area who are in critical need. You can donate PPE through the Oregon Office of Emergency Management or your county’s dropoff sites.
Help Pets In Animal Shelters
Pet shelters are bracing for a potential surge in animals as pet care may be more difficult for people who become ill or lose their jobs. A sudden loss of income might mean people won’t be able to afford veterinary care, pet food or the ability to pay rent in a pet-friendly apartment.
Paxton poses for a portrait at the Oregon Humane Society.
Courtesy of the Oregon Humane Society
Oregon Humane Society CEO Sharon Harmon told OPB’s “All Things Considered” that you can donate to local shelters, make toys for cats and dogs, and check in on elderly neighbors and their pets to make sure those animals are getting the food and exercise they need
The Oregon Humane Societys window for emergency foster-home applications is closed due to a recent outpouring of applications, but adoptions are still continuing by appointment.
You can donate to the Oregon Humane Society here.
The Humane Society for Southwest Washington shelters pets in the Vancouver area. You can donate here.
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Community Organizations Providing Food Access
Equitable Giving Circle: Equitable Giving Circle takes donations to buy CSAs from farmers and producers of color, and then distributes those CSAs to families of color who are not currently being served by social service networks. Plus, EGC also provides a weekly free pantry for BIPOC Portlanders and delivers food boxes to families. People can donate directly to help support those farmers and also feed communities in need.
Feedem Freedom Foundation: The nonprofit sector of the Black-owned farm Mudbone Grown donates fresh produce from the farm to low-income families, while also providing training and education to those interested in farming. Donations go to both supporting the farmers and farmworkers, as well as the food donations.
Growing Gardens: Growing Gardens helps low-income families install home gardens and provides mentoring programs for people to develop gardening skills. The organization also teaches gardening skills to kids and incarcerated Oregonians. Readers can donate here.
Dont Shoot Portland: This social justice group, founded by longtime activist Teressa Raiford, fights against systemic discrimination through policy work, community advocacy, and educational workshops. The groups feed-ins allow for community organizing, and the group also distributes food and clothing to marginalized families throughout Oregon and Washington. Make a donation here.
Donate Blood And Plasma
While a majority of blood donations usually come from group blood drives, COVID-19 has caused the cancellation of thousands of blood drives around the Northwest. The Red Cross is seeking more donors to meet the constant need for blood.
As we add more appointment slots and blood drive opportunities in the coming weeks, we ask that the public still make an effort to schedule an appointment, Red Cross spokeswoman Christine Welch said.
The Red Cross is also seeking plasma donations from people who have fully recovered from COVID-19. According to the Red Cross, those who have recovered have antibodies in their plasma that can combat the virus so the plasma is being evaluated as a treatment for people who are severely ill with COVID-19.
Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines were available yet, the Red Cross said in a statement.
To maintain distancing, blood donations are only made by appointment, with walk-ins discouraged.
People can find their nearest blood donation site at redcrossblood.org or at 1-800-RED-CROSS. Potential plasma donors can apply online.
Those who can’t give blood can still donate their time, as the Red Cross needs extra volunteers to help keep its waiting areas sanitized and to support donors once they’ve given blood. You can sign up to become a volunteer here.
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Dedicated To Service: First Tech Gives Time Talent And Funds To Oregon Food Bank
Presented by Oregon Food BankWhats This?August 27, 2018
Riane Shermans volunteering experience started simply: joining an Oregon Food Bank volunteer shift via her employer. It was an easy and fun way to give back, and seeing the impact that just one volunteer shift makes truly resonated with her. Riane remembers telling her sister she wanted to make it a priority to volunteer at least once per quarter that action opened the door to discover all of the regular volunteer opportunities that existed within Oregon Food Bank. She was hooked.
Starting with two to three shifts every week in the perishable repack room , Riane began to thrive. She made new friends during her volunteer shifts and felt like she was able to make an impact. In addition, she found herself leaving many of her personal stressors behind.
In the last five years, Riane has accrued over 440 volunteer hours. She has repackaged produce and sorted donated food, assisted with fundraising events and worked on garden shifts at both Portland and Beaverton locations. She also served on Oregon Food Banks volunteer advisory committee.
Rianes drive to serve stems from her father, who she accompanied to PBS pledge drives as a child while he operated a broadcasting camera. During those times, he reminded and showed her that giving back to the community supporting something you believe in makes the time spent doing so feel that much more rewarding.
Volunteer For Food Distribution
| What: Harvest Share shares free fresh fruits, vegetables, and other food items that are donated through Oregon Food Bank with PSU students and the greater PSU community. Their main goal of this program is to increase student access to healthy food options and to reduce student food insecurity.Who: All PSU students, faculty, staff, and community members.Where: Outside Shattuck Hall on the Park Blocks.When: Second Monday of the month at noon.What I did10:30 – 11:30: We repacked the fruits and vegetables that we got from the Oregon Food Bank. It was already repacked but since it’s big, we split into two little bags so that we can share with more people. 11:30 – 12:00: Officers gave a job to all volunteers. Jobs are the distributor, back-up, breaking boxes to recycle and people who stock the foods for distributors.12:00-1:00: We started distributing foods. People who came for the Harvest Share were placed in a different group of people by the time they came. 1:00 – 1:30: We started cleaning as the food are almost all distributed. We shared some of the rest of the foods and gave those to the PSU food pantry. | *This link will lead you to TVG website in order to apply for volunteering. |
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Food Bank Volunteers Find Helping Others Is Their Bag
King Day event draws 116 to pack oats, vegetables for the hungry
While scooping oats into 2-pound plastic bags Monday morning at the Oregon Food Bank West, Rich Barker says he doesnt buy the idea that some folks dont have time to volunteer in an effort to assist the less fortunate.
Everybody has time, he says.If the average American can find two hours every day to browse the Internet, they should be able to spend some time helping others.
On the national holiday dedicated to the memory and civil-rights accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., no fewer than 116 volunteers found time to help Stock Up the Pantry at Oregon Food Bank West, 1870 N.W. 173rd Ave. The event was one of many Weekend of Service projects sponsored by the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and Hands On Greater Portland that brought out about 1,000 volunteers to projects related to 44 nonprofit, charitable organizations.
The food banks Day of Service event was sponsored by Bank of America and Pacific Power, along with locally based entities Pacific University in Forest Grove and Southridge High School in Beaverton.
Sarah Schirmer, corporate gifts developer for the Oregon Food Bank, said the annual Stock up the Pantry event on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a great example of what volunteer work can accomplish, particularly on a national holiday when many are off work and focused on Kings message of equality and fairness.
Otherwise, he adds with a grin, Id be sleeping.