This page contains information and requests from organizations in the greater Portland community. All of these orgs are doing remarkable work to keep people safe and healthy, and they have some specific needs in order to keep doing this work. The 107IST has received requests for volunteers, financial donations, and material donations. We know many people are not currently in a position to help, but wanted to pass this on for those who can. Please check back frequently, as we will keep this page updated with the most recent requests.
Black Resilience Fund
The Black Resilience Fund is an emergency fund dedicated to fostering healing and resilience by providing immediate resources to Black Portlanders. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the physical and financial health of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. And because of ongoing systemic racism, these communities have been denied the resources they need to close these inequitable disparities. Due to the recent murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, there has been increased attention to racial injustice and the reality that we can close equity gaps if we do take action. The Black Resilience Fund (BRF) was created in response to endless headlines of Black pain, to leverage this difficult moment by inspiring Portlanders to show the best of themselves and build community. The BRF is an emergency fund that fosters healing and resilience for Black Portlanders facing the compounding impacts of a global pandemic, state violence, and systemic racism.
The fund is seeking direct donations via their GoFundMe in order to provide support to Black individuals. The organization is currently run by all-volunteer labor, so all donations will go to individuals in need of assistance. Visit the GoFundMe to donate financially.
The Black Resilience Fund is a volunteer-driven movement to support Black Portlanders. There are volunteer opportunities in every aspect of operations, from intake to deliveries to fundraising and social media promotion. They are especially in need of volunteers who identify as Black or BIPOC to assist with intake and deliveries, i.e. direct interactions with Black Portlanders in need. Most of their more than 100 active volunteers participated from the safety of their own homes via online channels and via phone. Volunteers who make deliveries assume responsibility for their own safety, delivery vehicle and complying with COVID-19 precautions (i.e. wearing a face covering and gloves).To volunteer, fill out this application.
Blanchet House
Blanchet House provides meals and transitional shelter services for houseless and food insecure community members. Need has increased greatly due to the current crisis, and they are serving over 1,900 meals daily. They need volunteers for meal service and clothing distribution. They also need material donations to help the people they serve.
Volunteers wear masks and gloves while working, and all efforts are made to ensure social distancing. Help is needed Monday through Saturday. Contact volunteer@blanchethouse.org for more information.
Visit their COVID page for more information and procedures for donating food or material goods. There is also an Amazon wishlist of items that are in high demand for the population they serve. Find it here.
Camp ELSO
Camp ELSO is a community-based education nonprofit organization that uses the natural world to connect children and youth from underrepresented communities to Science- Technology- Engineering- Arts- Mathematics (STEAM).
Our mission is to teach and frame STEAM and nature based education through a lens that centers and elevates the stories, ways of knowing, individual needs, and lived experience of Black and Brown communities. We provide culturally specific science camps, professional development activities, and community projects that invite children and youth of color to Experience Life Science Outdoors.
Camp ELSO accepts financial donations and has a wishlist of items that will directly support their camps, including a special camp this summer that will take place free of charge. Needed items include:8 pairs of binoculars (for use in urban forests, natural areas and parks), 50 Reusable grocery bags (for Distance Learning Kits to be sent home with campers), 8 Digital Cameras with memory cards (For Photojournalism Session July, 2020), 2 Laptop computers (for ensure reliable, effective communication between staff), Bicycles (for older youth, as alternative transportation to public transit). Contactinfo@campelso.org if you are able to help with any of these items.
Equitable Giving Circle
Equitable Giving Circle was launched during this crisis to support BIPOC Farmers and families. They purchase CSA food from farmers, and gift it to community members in need of fresh, healthy food. This group is 100% volunteer run and operated.
They are in need of in kind donations of food, garden supplies, and backpack/school supplies. Contact equitablegivingcircle@gmail.com for donation logistics. They are also in need of direct donations, and encourage us to share their fundraiser with others who might be able to give.
If anyone has a lead on a farm truck– one of the farms they work with needs a donation of a truck. Please contact the organization if you can help.
Friendly House
Friendly house provides services and programming for youth, families, and seniors, including the SAGE Metro Portland, a program dedicated to serving LGBT older adults. They have had to close their day center and end many programs that provided revenue, but are still serving their community by providing food and other essentials.
Friendly House is in need of food and household supplies for their clients: peanut butter, canned soups and vegetables, protein bars, cleaning supplies, paper products, dry cereal, pasta, rice. Contact donate@friendlyhouseinc.org.
They are also in need of financial support.
Gather:Make:Shelter
Gather:Make:Shelter is a citywide collaborative art project with and for people experiencing houselessness and poverty. They are in need of financial donations to continue supporting their artists and others. Check out their website, which will continue to be updated with events and ways to be involved.
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest inspires all girls and gender non-conforming youth to be strong, smart and bold. Through direct service, Girls Inc. builds safe spaces and fosters long-term mentoring relationships for youth living in low-income and historically under-resourced communities to develop their strengths, learn lasting skills, and take charge of their futures.
COVID-19 has heavily impacted the fundraising efforts of this group. They greatly appreciate direct donations, via their website.
Grow Portland
Grow Portland connects the community to the natural world and healthy food by creating and supporting school-based garden sites and engaging the community in gardening. They have responded to this crisis by pivoting to focus on food production in their learning gardens. Food produced is being delivered to school meal pantries and directly to families who need it. They continue to actively garden at 10 school sites, and harvested over 150 pounds of spring food last month.
They are waiting for permission to engage more volunteers at their sites, but interested volunteers can initially email growportland@gmail.com.
In addition, they are in need of Amazon wishlist items (purchases do not need to be made via Amazon but it is an easy way to supply a general list of needs). They are always in need of gift cards to garden supplies stores, Home Depot, etc. to maintain garden sites. Donation drop offs can be coordinated individually by emailing growportland@gmail.com as their office is currently closed.
Hillsboro Farmers’ Markets
Hillsboro Farmers’ Markets continue to operate during this time, providing a venue for over 200 local farmers to sell their product within the community. They are in need of volunteers on Saturdays and Sundays.Volunteers would help keep foot traffic at the agreed upon 100 people in market at a time; they would help assure everyone was observing social distancing and make sure everyone had masks. They can volunteer at support@hillsboromarkets.org
Howard’s Heart
Howard’s Heart supports teens and youth in foster care, ages 13-21. They work to go beyond the basics, and empower youth with a chance to speak for themselves. Howard’s Heart was founded with a mission to focus entirely on what the teens identify as their wants and needs.
COVID-19 has caused an increase in requests for basics like food, educational supplies, hygiene supplies, and clothes. The requests have nearly tripled, and funding has declined. The organization is worried about their ability to continue meeting the needs of the youth they work with.You can help out with this cause by purchasing items from the group’s Amazon wish list.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization serves a variety of needs for individuals and families in our community. They are still providing a lot of direct and virtual services throughout the area, including basic needs and other needs like education, language services, and legal services. They need gloves, sanitizing wipes, and some larger items such as a large cooler for food delivery, and google chromebooks or tablets for education. Please contact fundraise@irco.org if you wish to purchase and donate items. They are not accepting in-person donations at this time.
Join PDX
Join PDX helps families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity to transition into permanent housing, and supports them to maintain stability. They continue to support their clients during this time through modified use of their dayspace and increased mobile and outreach services.
Join PDX are especially in need of financial donations to help continue this work, as the pandemic has put additional stressors on them. Visit this page to make a financial donation. They also have a detailed list of material needs and an amazon wishlist here. They have noted a particular need for bottled water for their day space.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides trash bags and trash pick-up services for houseless communities in Portland. They also provide clothing, food, and other supplies needed by these communities. If you wish to contribute to their work, they have a list of most-needed items by season, and a link to a wishlist here.
The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center
The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center provides counseling services on a sliding scale to anyone who needs them regardless of financial situation, faith, background, personal situation, or employment. They are one of the few places around that provide truly affordable and accessible counseling and support, regardless of insurance. They continue to operate both virtually and in-person during this time.
NCC is struggling to secure enough disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and furniture-safe disinfecting spray to keep the office safe for clients, staff, and visitors. Please contact donate@nwcounseling.org if you would like to donate or can assist securing these items.
Oregon Food Bank
The needs met by the Oregon Food Bank continue to ramp up as more people find themselves needing food resources. They are working every day to adapt their food procurement and distribution models in response to the pandemic.
They are taking volunteers, and always need financial support (visit their website for more). In addition, they have asked to hear directly from anybody with a lead on companies that could provide transportation or storage opportunities.
Oregon Workers’ Relief Fund (organized by Causa Oregon)
Causa works to improve the lives of Latino immigrants and their families in Oregon. With COVID-19, Causa and other community partners were able to advocate at the state and local level for the Oregon Worker Relief Fund coalition. This coalition is working to provide temporary support to Oregon workers and their families who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and would otherwise fall through the cracks of current community support and assistance. This fund directly supports individuals who do not have other access to such unemployment and other forms of support. The fund needs direct donations to help individuals. Please visit the workers’ relief fund page and give generously.
p:ear
P:ear is an organization that provides education, art, recreation, and job training to homeless youth. They are deeply committed to community building and empowerment of some of our community’s most vulnerable individuals- homeless young people. During this time, they are working to provide food and other supplies to anyone who needs them. They are serving over 250 meals per day. They are also hoping to reopen their community center as a safe space for youth as soon as they are able to do so safely.
P:ear is in need of volunteers and donations, including volunteers who can help from home by baking food or sewing masks.They also need donations of tents, sleeping bags, burrito making supplies, masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Check out their COVID-specific webpage for specific needs and information.
Portland Community Football Club
Portland Community Football Club provides affordable, high quality soccer for low-income, immigrant and refugee youth ages 5-18. Although all soccer related activities have stopped, they have shifted all their focus towards the needs of their families, many of whom are undocumented and work in the restaurant and food service industries. They are providing food and other staples for families, and even providing financial assistance when it is needed.
Direct donations will help PCFC ensure that they can continue this work, and that they will be able to pick up where they left off when play resumes. All donations can be made at their website.
They can also always use more volunteer coaches. Though, we aren’t sure when play will resume, they are meeting monthly via Zoom with coaches to do some coaching education. They also could use volunteers to help with our virtual fundraiser in September. Volunteer roles for that could include: Picking up procured auction items around Portland, writing auction item/package descriptions, or joining the PCFC Ambassador program. Contact kaig@pcfc.co if interested in any of the volunteer opportunities
Q Center
The Q Center in North Portland provides a meeting space and community center for LGBTQ+ individuals in Portland. The center currently has a drive under way for art supplies for the lounge. If you are interested in helping out, contact their Operations Coordinator, Jasmine Brown, at jasmine@pdxqcenter.org. Financial contributions will also help support the important work of this community center.
In hopes of opening soon, please contact them if you are interested in volunteering!The center uses volunteers to staff our front desk and lobby area during our open hours (Noon – 8 p.m. weekdays, Noon – 6 p.m. weekends).These volunteers also provide information and referral. After being closed a long time we are concerned about our volunteers returning upon reopening. Anyone interested can contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Dani Trammell at dani@pdxqcenter.org.
Rose Haven
Rose Haven shelter and community center continues to adapt their services to provide support to women, children, and gender diverse individuals in our community who are at risk of houselessness or abuse. They need a few volunteers to work in the building adjacent to Rose Haven cleaning restrooms, sorting donations, and working on other organizational projects.Right now they also have a number of projects that can be taken off-site for volunteers to complete and return. This would include making hygiene kits in to go bags, sorting shoes, distributing hand sanitizer from a large gallon into small containers, etc. Email jalmroth@rosehaven.org for more info!
Rose Haven is also in need of material donations to directly provide what their clients need. They currently have an amazon wishlist, as well as a partnership with Next Adventure to purchase outdoor supplies and other needed items. Next Adventure, which is a local, small business, is offering a 50% discount to Rose Haven supporters who are purchasing supplies to donate. Use this link to purchase from Next Adventure. You can also check out the amazon wishlist here.
Rosehip Medic Collective
Rosehip Medic Collective are street medics (providing medical care at protests, action camps, occupations, etc- specifically for antifascist and leftist organizing) and community medics (providing baseline medical care to underserved communities such as houseless folks and the queer community). In response to COVID-19, they are also producing hand sanitizer, and have produced and distributed over 15,000 individual bottles to houseless folks and others in need, primarily through direct service organizations.
They are in need of financial support to their gofundme page to continue procuring the materials needed for this operation. They said financial support has slowed down a lot, and their production depends on this source to continue. Visit their GoFundMe page to contribute.
Rosewood Initiative
Rosewood Initiative provides a connection to basic needs resources for vulnerable individuals and families in outer East Portland. Their community center usually provides an array of services. Though the center is now closed, they continue to connect with families via other means, and help families with basic needs like food, rent, and utilities, as well as resource navigation. They have a particular need right now for donations of books for school aged children. Contact meldridge@friendlyhouseinc.org to arrange a donation. They also have set up two funds for financial donations. Visit their website, for more information.
Street Roots
Street Roots continues to do vital work supporting the houseless population of Portland and advocating for the needs of this community. The need during this time is enormous. Support their vendor assistance fund to provide direct assistance to Street Roots vendors, and financial support for the many initiatives and programs they run. To make a financial donation, please visit here. If you want to read more about the specific ways this money supports individuals in our community, check out Kaia Sand, Street Roots’ executive director, on Twitter.
Urban League of Portland
The Urban League of Portland is the foremost civil rights and services agency dedicated to Black Oregonians. They work for stable housing, workforce development, community health, education and well-being for youth, adults and seniors. Their culturally specific programs and services, combined with our powerful advocacy and civic engagement, empowers Black communities to thrive across Oregon and SW Washington.
Urban League of Portland is specifically working to address the digital divide in their communities. They have a huge need formodern, safe internet enabled devices like chromebooks, laptops, larger size tablets, etc. If you have a device that might work, you can contact ulpdx@ulpdx.org to arrange pickup or dropoff. The need is in the thousands for these devices. Also- watch this space for an updated Amazon wish list coming soon from the organization.
Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project
Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project runs a community space that is built by and for day laborers. This is where immigrant, refugee, Latino, and Black day laborers connect for work, and where they host programs, classes, and trainings. Their center continues to be a resource for workers to make connections, get food, and learn about assistance and resources. These are vital services for this population. In addition, Voz is doing regular outreach to day laborers on street corners on how to care for themselves during COVID-19. About 30% of their membership is houseless and an overwhelming majority is monolingual Spanish-speaking. For many, Voz functions as their only or major source of information and access to resources.
Voz is in need of volunteers to help with their food pantry, such as sorting and organizing donations, seeking donations, coordinating logistics to receive donations, and doing door-step deliveries to workers’ homes. They provide face masks and gloves and follow distancing guidelines. For direct contact and more information, contact Mo Taylor at activities@portlandvoz.org.
They also need items for their worker center, including: a small/mini refrigerator, on-site portable toilet rooms, outside hand-washing station, soap and hand sanitizer, disinfecting cleaning wipes, 300 gardening gloves. Contact the worker center director to arrange donations or ask questions: adrian@portlandvoz.org, 503-234-2043.
William Temple House
William Temple House operates a food pantry and low- to no-cost mental health counseling services in Portland. They are one of the only organizations around that offers mental health care that is truly accessible to all. They continue to provide these services while constantly adapting their service model for safety. They are usually funded in large part through their thrift store, which has also closed. They are in need of volunteers and donations to continue their impactful work in our community.
William Temple House has an ongoing need for volunteers, especially assisting in the food pantry. Volunteers prepare boxes of food from shopping lists created by staff and clients. Boxes are brought upstairs where clients wait outside under canopies. Social distancing is maintained and all staff and volunteers wear masks and gloves. Before- and after-hours, the pantry is stocked and hygiene items organized. The William Temple House Director of Volunteers and Outreach, Cliff Johnson, can be reached at (503) 715-0248 or cjohnson@williamtemple.org.
The food pantry also provides basic hygiene products to clients. Monetary donations help them purchase items in bulk at a lower cost, but actual products — full or travel-sizes — are also appreciated. Phoebe O’Meara, Social Services Program Coordinator, can be reached at (503) 715-0318 or pomeara@williamtemple.org. Items their clients request and need include toilet paper; shampoo; conditioner; lotion; soap (bars or liquid); razors; shaving cream; toothpaste; toothbrushes; menstrual products; baby diapers. When the thrift store re-opens in June, they will again be looking for gently used clothing, household goods, and furniture to be donated for resale to benefit their social service programs. Please call 503-222-3328 for information about donating, or find information on the website.
Woodlawn Farmers’ Market
The Woodlawn Farmers Market, a project of the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, is located in the heart of our neighborhood in Northeast Portland, Oregon. They contribute to the revitalization of Woodlawn through our place-based, food-focused initiatives, including a SNAP matching program. They have been significantly impacted by the financial fall-out of Covid-19, and are looking for support to continue their good work. You can contribute financially at their website. They are also (awkwardly, as they say), on the lookout for a porta-potty to use for vendors during the market– due to limited access of surrounding businesses, this would help them greatly.
Finally, volunteers are always needed to help out at the market, every Saturday through October. Email Woodlawnfarmersmarket@gmail.com for more information!
YOUTH (Youth Organized and United To Help)
YOUTH provides a variety of culturally responsive workshops and services. They serve populations who often fall through the cracks of other services, and are hardest hit by the pandemic. They are currently running a book drive to collect books for underserved youth in Portland. Their book drive is a way to share hope with families in need throughout the Portland metro area.
YOUTH needs volunteers to help sort and deliver books. They also need donations of books that are for a diverse age range and culturally diverse in subject matter. You can visit their website to get in contact or learn more.
