You may already have favorite charities to which you give. If not, here are a few ideas, most of which were submitted by BWNA board members. Thank you for giving this holiday season and beyond!
Food
St Vincent DePaul Food Pantry, svdppdx.org — Helps thousands of people a year to maintain housing, keep utilities on, and get emergency food boxes.
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon – NE Emergency Food Program, emoregon.org/nefp — Meets the urgent food needs of our Portland metro area neighbors, primarily people living in east Portland.
Oregon Food Bank, oregonfoodbank.org — Distributes free food to anyone experiencing food insecurity.
Portland Food Project, portlandfoodproject.org — Has neighborhood coordinators who pick up food from about 1,600 households; it’s distributed to local food pantries, five of which are in NE Portland.
Housing/Homelessness
Portland Community Warehouse, communitywarehouse.org — Provides donated furniture and household items to those seeking the comfort and dignity of a furnished home while overcoming adversity.
Habitat for Humanity Portland Region, habitatportlandregion.org — Offers low-income families, single parents, and refugees a chance to help build their own homes alongside volunteers.
Street Roots, streetroots.org — Produces a street newspaper focused on homelessness, poverty, and social justice issues. Vendors, who are jobless and/or homeless, sell the newspaper as a means of earning income.
Miscellaneous
Mercy Corps, mercycorps.org — A Portland-based organization that supports people undergoing economic, environmental, social, and political instability. In Oregon, its focus is helping low-income entrepreneurs overcome barriers to starting and maintaining a small business.
Youth
Beaumont Middle School PTA Family Resiliency Fund, mychadabnb.com/c/beaumont-family-resiliency-fund — Offers, through the PTA, support for students at BMS who are experiencing emergencies that may impact their overall well-being and ability to be successful in school.
Portland Youth Builders, pybpdx.org — Has helped thousands of young people change their lives through a combination of vocational training, counseling, career development, and long-term support.
New Avenues for Youth, newavenues.org — Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to the prevention of youth homelessness for young people ages 9 to 24.