Blanchet House & Farm

We gave out 900!!! sack lunches today thanks to the Portland Trailblazers and so many other generous donors! Our guests got to walk away with extra meals for the weekend and for their friends who couldn’t make it to our cafe. Thank you all!!!

Shoutout to cafe lead Ami Prevec for serving breakfast this morning while keeping volunteers and guests calm during an emergency. "We had a tragic start to our morning," Ami says about a guest who possibly overdosed right outside the front doors. Staff responded with CPR. "We postponed service so that paramedics had plenty of room to work. We rerouted the line of guests waiting to come in to eat around the firetruck. I appreciate our teams' willingness to jump in and help. It was very emotional watching them from inside the cafe. It's what we do and I'm grateful to be a part of it." Thank you, Ami, and everyone who helped try to save a life early this morning. We don't know the outcome of our guest, they were taken by ambulance to a hospital.

Elizabeth, who helps run Blanchet's lunch and dinner services, is pictured holding a gift basket we put together for camping enthusiasts. Please support Elizabeth’s work and our services by donating today. "We feed a lot of people which is what we set out to do," says Elizabeth. "Grateful for that and the Blanchet community." When you give $50 via Give!Guide you're entered to win our camping lovers basket, valued at $500, containing: - 1 Mountain Hardware Mineral King 3 tent - 1 Campsite at Zigzag Mountain Farm (Rhododendron, OR) - 1 camping blanket from Sackcloth & Ashes - 1 Oregon Bucket List travel guide PLUS: Three additional donors will win a FREE ZigZag Mountain Farm campsite. And one $10 donor could win a $500 gift card from Backyard Bird Shop. Thank you for your generosity and support in reaching our 2024 fundraising goal. Donate at https://lnkd.in/gRWnc6JP

The wonderful Romero Moreno family donated 500 homemade chicken tamales in honor of their son, Duvi. Duvi, who passed away in a car accident in 2020, liked to help the homeless on his birthday by handing out tamales. His family continues the tradition every year near his birthday. “It makes us feel good,” says his mom, Sylvia. “Thanks to God, because He is good. And thank you ?? because you do beautiful work.”

Portland Urban Beekeepers (PUB) give beekeeping certification scholarships to participants of Blanchet Farms’s recovery program. PUB also generously donates supplies to the men learning the science and art of beekeeping at the farm. Thanks to PUB members Katy Fackler and Brian Wagstaff Blanchet Farm’s beekeeping program is helping men in addiction recovery learn new skills and hobbies. Support PUB and Blanchet Farm’s valuable services to the community by donating at Willamette Week's Give!Guide. https://giveguide.org #giveguide

Stop by Breakside Brewery on NW 22nd on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 5-6:30 p.m., to mingle with Blanchet House supporters. 20% of sales will be donated to our programs! This public event is hosted by board member Garrett Wong, and a very welcoming group of caring people, so please stop by for a drink and food.

Paul Susi is the “ID Man” using his own money to fund the cost of applications for birth certificates and replacement IDs. Today outside Blanchet House, Paul set up his office alongside his employer Portland Street Medicine. He wrote personal checks to 15 people so they could afford to pay for IDs. Most cost around $47. Why does he do it? “As a former shelter manager the most infuriating obstacle is lack of ID. This is a blind spot that’s preventing a lot of people from accessing housing, employment, substance abuse resources, and care,” says Paul. “I’m using my own savings and I ask friends to contribute from time to time. I’ve helped 300 people in two years and have spent $3-4,000. You just have to be prepared to deal with bureaucracy. I write a personal check to avoid the waivers. I noticed that people who use waivers are treated poorly at the DMV.” What about grants? “Grants require onerous reporting.” Paul became a notary so he could further slash red tape for people. “I encourage people to become notaries. It’s really dumb but surprisingly essential,” he says. “All that an ID card is a confirmation that you are a human being,” Paul says. “People with Section 8 housing vouchers waiting for years on a waitlist and then being denied their housing opportunity because their wallet was stolen.“ You can find Paul the Second Thursday of the month at Blanchet House, Second Tues at Street Books and second Weds at @William temple House Reach him at https://lnkd.in/gXjTDvjC

Congratulations to Blanchet House High School Ambassador Claire Cao for winning the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. Her app, ShelterBridge, helps unhoused individuals, service providers, and first responders easily access information about critical resources like shelter availability in real time. Cao was inspired to create the app while she was volunteering at Blanchet House after speaking with a Portlander who had difficulties accessing resources for his basic needs. The app also includes a map and a chatbot to answer questions. Now we need the city and county to put the app into use!

Today (11/13), when you donate $10 or more to Blanchet House via Give!Guide, you'll be entered to receive one of five signed copies of our children's book Toby Finds a Home! Signed by one of the co-authors and illustrator Eva Wrzesinki. This is a great book for younger children to learn about homelessness and helping their community. We will randomly choose five people from all donors. Your donation will bring relief and hope to so many people struggling in our community. https://lnkd.in/gRWnc6JP

We had a great time playing bingo with our supporters and host Poison Waters! Congratulations to the winners. We hope to see you next year! Thank you to these incredible businesses for donating prizes! ? ZIG ZAG MOUNTAIN STORE LLC, Portland Center Stage at The Armory, Sonjer B Brownies, Arium, 107IST Riveters, Oaks Park, Hopscotch Portland, McMenamins Pubs & Breweries, and Portland Gear!