One of the reasons why we added Transition Projects, or TPI for short, is how easy they are to reach. They provide a lot of channels where people can contact them and are generally responsive. 

They also have numerous service locations listed on their website, most of them being open 24/7. 

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Their resource center provides different kinds of necessities like restrooms and showers, clothing, lockers, shelter, laundry, and more. They also provide health & wellness services, but those have been suspended because of COVID-19.

A lot of people whom TPI has helped mentioned that they were happy about how spacious the facilities are here. We think this also helps the charity give aid to more people because they have more room and beds. 

Another thing we like about TPI is that they offer access to several social services that would help people get back on their feet. This includes caseworkers, mentorship, healthcare, and housing. 

We and a lot of people who have spent some time here have a lot of good things to say about TPI. However, the people were also quick to tell us some things they weren’t quite happy with. 

We received some feedback about how some of the staff were rude and didn’t give them their mail. We’re not quite sure why this is the case, but we think they could be lacking in training because of the lack of manpower. 

We noticed that this doesn’t happen most of the time, so it’s possible that they already improved on this aspect. 

Ultimately, we still recommend TPI because of how they were able to help countless people find food and shelter. 

Blanchet (Blan-shāy) House helps people by giving them clothing, food, and even supportive housing programs. 

Their meal program consists of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it happens six days a week. 

As for their clothing program, they accept donations for men’s clothing and even recycle those that cannot be worn anymore. They give these out during meal services if there are any available. 

They have two residential programs that specifically help men who are battling with unemployment, mental health, addiction, and other things. It’s called the Blanchet House Program and Blanchet Farm. 

The Blanchet House Program is located in Downtown Portland. The men living there are assigned to the kitchen and are tasked to prepare and serve food. 

Meanwhile, those living at the Blanchet farm in Carlton, Oregon help out in the maintenance of the 62-acre farm. Their work also includes caring for the animals, managing the gardens, and more. 

When we got the chance to reach out to those whom Blanchet House had the opportunity to help, most of them commended the volunteers. 

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It seems that the volunteers were quite helpful, non-judgemental, and high-spirited. The service is fast too. We think this is because they’re well-trained and well-informed about the system that they have. 

However, we also heard that the quality of their food is not consistent. There are times when it’s good, but there are also times when it’s flavorless or lacking variety. 

Overall, we like how Blanchet House helps people start a new life. If you’re planning on donating, they are grateful to accept no matter how big or small your donation might be. 

If you’re someone looking for help, we think it’s worth checking it out. 

SnowCap Community Charities makes food easily accessible for more people, which is about as good a cause as any. They have three programs that help distribute food to those in need. 

First, they offer a mobile food pantry to low-income apartment complexes and schools. Second, they also have a program called Good Neighbor day which means on every 2nd Thursday of the month, they give out boxes at SnowCap. 

People will be able to receive different kinds of food in the box. All you need to do is bring your Link2Feed number and boxes or bags to join. If you’re new to the program, they can help you sign up at the premises. 

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The third program is called a community garden. As the name says, families are provided a space in their greenhouse so they can raise their vegetables. 

Aside from the space, gardening classes are also included in this program. We love this because SnowCap is also providing learning opportunities for families that will also help them survive. 

When we interviewed the families who had experiences with SnowCap, most of them appreciated the volunteers the most. 

We found out that it’s because the volunteers are knowledgeable not just in terms of the job assigned to them that day. It’s also because they have plenty of information and advice that could be helpful to whatever needs you might have. 

SnowCap also helps in providing clothing for families. This, however, is by appointment only which you can easily sign up for on their website. 

There are a lot of good points that would point to choosing SnowCap to donate to or to ask for help from. We love how they try to maximize their resources as possible to help more people. 

However, there were still some of those we’ve talked to who noticed an area SnowCap needs to improve on. 

Some of those we talked to mentioned that there’s overcrowding on their premises, which might be uncomfortable for some people. We think it’s because while they try their best to maximize their resources, it might not always be enough to help everyone. 

Community Warehouse focuses on providing household items and furniture to low-income households. If you’re someone who has these items to spare or if you’re someone in need of them, we suggest you read on. 

This furniture bank has been around for 20 years. Together with the help of social service agencies, they make sure the donations they receive go to a home that needs it. 

We love how proactive the people behind Community Warehouse are. We notice this because of the several channels they try to make available to keep the warehouse going. 

They have a separate store called Estate Store where people can shop for different home goods. The proceeds would directly go to Community Warehouse to help them serve more people better. 

Additionally, they also accept donations for the Estate Store. They’re always accepting jewelry, antiques, and other collectible items at their drop-off locations. All you have to do is fill up the form on their website. 

If you don’t have anything to donate but still want to help out, just shop from the Estate Store!

Aside from their store, they also hold other events from time to time. Some events will help you learn more about how a donation to Community Warehouse can help other people. 

We were grateful for the opportunity of being able to reach out to those who had experiences with this local charity. Some were those who donated, while some were those who were able to receive help. 

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Most of them mentioned that the staff here was friendly. We think this is quite important to note because it shows they are a safe space that can provide a non-judgemental service. 

They are also quite helpful with any inquiries one might have. 

The quality of the furniture that people got here was also amazing. However, for those who are donating, it seems that they’ve imposed strict rules about what you can donate. 

While this ensures the quality of the furniture, we think it could sometimes waste important resources especially if the furniture is still fully-functional and just gently used. 

One of the things that made us add Sunshine Division to our list of top charities in Portland is the several programs they have available. 

To name a few, they have a food pantry that’s open 6 days a week and an Emergency Home Delivery Program that started during the peak of COVID-19 in 2020. So far, the latter has already provided 7 million meals to over 300,000 local households.

They also have a program in which they partner with first responders, so they can deliver food boxes to homes if they’ve received a call for help. 

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They also supposedly have a clothing room that’s open 6 days a week, but is temporarily closed, unfortunately. 

Sunshine Division accepts different kinds of donations, so if you’re looking to donate, they’ll most likely accept what you have in mind. 

Aside from food, they also accept equipment or service, vehicles, stock or real estate, and even corporate support. 

If you’re a business looking for a local charity to partner with, you can sponsor an event, volunteer as a group, including the Sunshine Division in billing inserts, and many more. 

A lot of the people we’ve talked to have had a lot of great experiences with the Sunshine Division. Several of them mentioned that the people working here are quite responsive. 

For people who are donating, it makes them feel more inclined to donate because they are supported with inquiries they might have. 

For people who need help, it makes them feel that the people at Sunshine Division are willing to assist them. 

The only negative comment we’ve received about this charity is that they don’t always check the quality of their food because some reported it being expired. While this happens rarely, it shouldn’t have to.

We think this is something to keep in mind before choosing Sunshine Division. 

However, overall, we think that they are doing the best they can to support their mission. So if you’re looking for a local charity, we think they’re worth checking out.