Blanchet House: one year later, a Helping Hands Update.
In January of 2023 the story of homelessness in Portland was a big one. Has it gotten better or worse in the last year? We wanted to return to Blanchet House one year later to find out from the people who's mission is to alleviate suffering and offer hope for a better life by serving essential aid with dignity.
The bottom line? "We've seen a significant increase in the number of people coming to eat meals at our free cafe since this time last year due to inflation and rising housing costs." And the need for assistance to serve this portion of our community is greater than ever.
Blanchet House has been serving the Portland community for 70 years and they do that through a variety of programs:
- In addition to hot meals, we offer clean and warm clothing during lunch services. We are always in need of new socks, gloves, and winter hats for adults.
- Blanchet House in Old Town Portland shelters up to 45 formerly homeless men so they can work and save money to find permanent housing.
- Blanchet Farm near McMinnville is undergoing a major rebuild of its dormitories to offer more people a place to heal from addiction. Watch the video below to see what an important impact the farm can have on a person's recovery. To make a donation to the capital campaign click here.