Union Gospel Mission Goes Mobile for Upcoming Operation Overcoat

Union Gospel Mission Goes Mobile for Upcoming Operation Overcoat

by | Sep 5, 2020 | Features, Fundraisers, News, nonprofit, Upcoming Events

Portland, OR. This year the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) will move its annual event – Operation Overcoat – “from one big downtown event, to distributing winter gear and meals all over the city in partnership with other non-profits and local churches,” according to Communications Manager Courtney Dodds.

Family receiving a meal together at Operation Overcoat

As new restrictions and safety challenges due to COVID-19 mean no large crowds this year, UGM’s team brainstormed a way to reinvent Operation Overcoat to get vital supplies to those in need. In several city-wide mini functions beginning Saturday, September 19th, the organization will be partnering with local churches, schools, and workplaces to gather and deliver backpacks filled with shoes, coats, pants, and other items.

This year UGM will reinvent Operation Overcoat to allow for safety measures against COVID-19

“In other words, Operation Overcoat is going mobile,” explained Courtney. “Winter weather can be dangerous and even life-threatening for our neighbors who are houseless and living outside. Due to the pandemic, more people than ever are financially on the edge and sadly it is projected that even more people will fall into homelessness.”

“Receiving vital life essentials is often the first step to building a relationship and helping someone find a path off the streets. Operation Overcoat not only provides for basic needs but is a point of personal connection.”

This year’s unique conditions pose greater challenges for those experiencing homelessness than previous years

For over 20 years, the downtown-situated block party drew nearly a thousand attendees with live music, free food, and festivities as volunteers distributed thousands of donated clothing items to neighbors experiencing homelessness or need in the community.

Courtney notes that the event “will look different this year, but our commitment to coming alongside those in need remains the same.”

Here are some ways you or your local organization can get involved this year:

  1. Organize a donation drive at your church, workplace or school. Our most needed items include pants, new undergarments, sleeping bags, boots, and coats. Drop your items off at Union Gospel Mission at 3 NW Third Avenue.
  2. Support Operation Overcoat financially. It costs about $23.53 to serve each person through Operation Overcoat. Consider a special financial gift for Operation Overcoat. You can give online at ugmportland.org/donate

Your Gift of $23.53 provides an Operation Overcoat guest with goods and services that would cost them over $200 in a retail environment.

From the website:
FEEDING THE HUNGRY, RESTORING THE ADDICT AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR. SINCE 1927.

Union Gospel Mission was founded in 1927, when 40 area churches came together seeking to minister to the homeless and hurting on the streets of Portland. In 1937, Union Gospel Mission purchased a building at 15 NW Third Ave.

Impact NW Moves Operations Online and Begins Household Supply Drive

Impact NW Moves Operations Online and Begins Household Supply Drive

by | Jul 3, 2020 | Events, Features, News, nonprofit

Portland, OR. Impact NW, an organization that fights homelessness by supporting struggling families, continues to operate despite going fully remote as of March 13th, 2020. Their staff now provides rental and energy assistance online and conducts home visits via video call. 

Development Director Ada Dortch explains that Impact NW’s academic support programs have had to do the most adaptation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dortch explains that, due to school closures, staff members have had to shift their focus away from general community support work towards individual case management. Each family is affected differently: school closures, mass layoffs, and pay cuts have raised new challenges for people trying to keep a roof over their heads. “We work with each family to meet their needs,” Dortch explains. “Everyone has been impacted in some way [by COVID-19].”

Soon, kids will be able to participate in in-person school workshops like this!

Despite these obstacles, Impact NW has had a surge of support from individuals as well as larger corporate donors. “We are only as strong as our community and our supporters,” says Dortch. She also points to the creativity and dedication of staff members as a major factor in the organization’s success in these tumultuous times. 

For those looking to make themselves a part of this wave of contributions, Dortch suggests donating to the No Place Like Home drive for household supplies, which she cites as a major cause for concern among families who are struggling during the pandemic. In addition, Impact NW will hold a virtual fundraiser this September. Readers can expect to hear more about this event once the details are fully hammered out.

About Impact NW: 

Impact NW has always responded to our community’s most pressing needs.

Formed in 1966 by neighbors in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood, community members came together to combat poverty and deteriorating conditions in Southeast Portland. The agency was originally named Portland Action Communities Together, Inc. (PACT).

Early Impact NW initiatives included employment programs, family counseling, food buying clubs, and a tool lending library. We helped develop Southeast Portland’s first Senior Center, Youth Service Center, and free health clinic. In the 1990s, we piloted Multnomah County’s first Parent-Child Development Services program and the Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) program. Throughout our organizational history we have always aimed to help people thrive and remain safely housed.

The organization was renamed Portland Impact in the 1980s, and later Impact NW as we expanded our services outside the Portland Metropolitan area.