Editor’s Note: This article speaks of compassion for and frustration with the RV camper who knowingly parked illegally for weeks by Wilshire Park. Tim makes the case for compassion.
Offering another angle on the houseless crisis, many local charitable organizations are working hard to help folks survive and break out of that condition. If you aren’t already, you might consider donating time or money to such organizations.
BWNA has made contributions to the Beaumont Middle School PTA’s Family Resiliency Fund and the Community Cycling Center’s program to deliver food and care kits to hurting families. Additionally, the BWNA Board has spotlighted the Portland Food Project for its good work. These are three worthy local projects the BWNA board has evaluated and recommends supporting.
Here are a few more of the many 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organizations active in Portland, all with websites where you can learn more about their initiatives:
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For fighting hunger, the Oregon Food Bank has a stellar reputation, earning the highest rating from Charity Navigator.
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Other Portland organizations with strong ratings that are addressing houselessness and the conditions that lead to it include Street Roots, Central City Concern, Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East, Transition Projects, JOIN, and the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.
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Organizations with a particularly strong presence in downtown and Old Town Portland include Sisters of the Road, Blanchet House, and p:ear (a longtime Portland humanitarian organization assisting houseless youth, ages 15 to 25, with the acronym standing for “progress through education, art, and recreation—pronounced like the fruit, ‘pear’”).
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Organizations focused on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities experiencing houselessness include the Black Resilience Fund of the nonprofit Brown Hope and the Urban League of Portland.
All these organizations are focused on compassionate, long-term solutions to houselessness. If you have recommendations of other worthy nonprofits doing this good work, let us know.