Last Thursday, Sysco and other volunteers took over our Burnside Shelter kitchen to serve our homeless guests a Meal to Remember that won’t soon be forgotten. About 500 homeless men and women were welcomed into the dining room where they were offered a seat and served a fresh, hot Thanksgiving-style dinner with ingredients from several…
Read MoreAfter three months living at the Burnside Shelter working in our Link ministry, Ron has now moved into independent housing! Several weeks ago, a handful of staff here at the Mission helped Ron pack up his belongings and move into the studio apartment he now calls home. Haven’t read Part I yet? Read it here.…
Read MoreEvery day, we serve hundreds of people at our Burnside Shelter location. Many come for a free meal, but just as many come for a bed, a shower, or a free pair of socks. Through donations given by the community and area businesses, we are able to provide for everyday needs with items such as…
Read MoreRon first moved to Portland in 2000, working a job loading and unloading furniture on and off trucks. He spent the next 13 years doing this, working for a truck driver friend. While at a truck stop in Troutdale, 61-year-old Ron slipped and fell out of the truck, severely breaking his ankle in four places.…
Read MoreThe Link guys are movin’ upstairs! That’s right, the third floor of our Burnside Shelter that has been under renovation this summer has officially opened, allowing the men in our work-exchange program to move from the bottom floor to the roomier, sunlit upstairs bedrooms. “It’s really nice. It’s beautiful up here,” says Eric, a…
Read MoreIn an effort to revitalize Portland’s Old Town Chinatown, the neighborhood’s community association called for volunteers to help landscape over a hundred tree wells and flowerbeds between Burnside and Glisan Street. “We’re trying to turn this neighborhood into something that everyone who lives here will enjoy, as well as people who come [to visit],” Association…
Read MoreWe are currently undergoing a massive renovation project at our Burnside Shelter! This overhaul will allow us to provide more much-needed space and services, such as a women’s program and more rooms for our Link residents to live in while they transition out of homelessness. The second floor of the facility will soon be home…
Read MoreThe story of Terrance Burton Jr. is a simple, but powerful reminder to us all that to serve others, sometimes you just need a compassionate heart. One day, Terrance asked his mom a simple question, “Do people really eat out of trash cans?” When his mom responded, “Yes”, Terrance came up with an idea. “We’re…
Read MoreGROW, The Advantis Community Fund, is providing seven local non-profits with funding for projects that will make a difference in our local communities. Advantis will provide over $50,000 in total to fund these deserving projects in 2012. Thanks to the support of community votes, Portland Rescue Mission is one of the winners of this year’s…
Read MoreEvery Tuesday night, homeless women receive tender care — foot massages, snacks and conversation — from a team of loving staff and volunteers at our Burnside Shelter. Jan, a member of our staff, shares about this week’s outreach: As we drove to outreach last night, we all felt tired. This is not unusual. It’s the…
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