This month you'll hear from Love, NH board member and former program participant. Plus, read more about the heart of our mission and the power of community. We also celebrate the spirit of giving through Winter Wishes, highlight the dedication of volunteers and partners who continue to uplift our programs, and more!

Program participant and Neighborhood House board member, Love, enjoying an afternoon visit to her former home at our 19th Avenue Apartments.

Nearly twelve years ago, Love came to Portland looking for a new start. Without any housing and as a single parent, life had never felt more uncertain.

On this day, Love and fellow board members helped staff prepare for our End-of-Year Campaign.

Love spent months rotating through shelters, hotel rooms, and unsafe living situations. She did everything she could to keep her family afloat. It all felt overwhelming. As she considered her next steps, someone suggested Neighborhood House. She learned the about the affordable housing units we had available in Southwest Portland.

The trajectory of her life was changed in that moment.

“For the first time in my entire life, I was met with dignity. I wasn’t talked down to. I wasn’t made to feel ashamed for needing help. I wasn’t forced to ‘prove’ I deserved to survive. At Neighborhood House, people spoke to me with genuine respect, something I have so often not been given, simply due to my circumstances.”

After finding housing security, things began to slowly feel more stable. Love enrolled her child in Neighborhood House Head Start. She began to reclaim her confidence and find her voice. She joined our Head Start Policy Council and became a statewide advocate. A few years later, Love was asked to join the Neighborhood House Board of Directors.

Today, she threads her lived experience into her leadership as a board member. Her background and perspective strengthen our programs and organizational culture, and in turn uplifts families across our community.

Love’s story is just one example of what your support makes possible.

You can find Love's full story on our website!

Stories like Love’s remind us why Neighborhood House exists: to meet people with dignity, provide real opportunities, and celebrate the remarkable strength within our community. If you’d like to help us continue sharing these stories and expanding our impact, please consider making a gift to our End of Year Campaign. Your support fuels our mission and ensures that we can keep uplifting the voices, experiences, and successes of those who make this community what it is.

Positive Charge! PDX launched Two Can Tuesday, a grassroots food collection that has grown into one of the most impactful efforts in Portland. Neighborhood House is deeply grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of this incredible community-driven project. Pictured above are volunteers Rhona F, Bruce W, and Anna M. delivering food to the Free Food Market during their weekly Two Can Tuesday route.

What began as a simple idea has turned into a powerful movement.

Two Can Tuesday is a grassroots effort that collects food and toiletries for neighbors across Portland. The original concept began as "One Can Wednesday" when Sallie C, one of the founders of Positive Charge! PDX, saw an opportunity in her Bridlemile neighborhood.  Her idea was to make it easy for neighbors to donate items on trash pickup day. Bridlemile’s pickup day is Wednesday, which inspired “One Can Wednesday.”

Rhona is the project manager of Two Can Tuesday. Inspired by Sallie’s model, she brought the idea to Garden Home, where garbage pickup day is Tuesday. And so, Two Can Tuesday was born. The movement continued to grow. Helped in part by the irresistible charm of the toucan logo, the Board of Positive Charge! PDX soon branded the entire project as Two Can Tuesday.

A grant from the City of Portland Office of Community & Civic Life helped Two Can Tuesday expand. It strengthened its presence in Bridlemile and other existing routes. Later it expanded into five new neighborhoods in SW Portland.

That early spark of generosity is now a citywide effort. In five years, the group has collected and donated over 170,000 pounds of food and hygiene products.

These donations go directly to local food pantries, including Neighborhood House, at a time when the need has never been greater. Today, 1 in 8 people and 1 in 6 kids in Oregon and Southwest Washington face food insecurity.  As federal cuts threaten food supplies, assistance programs struggle to replenish pantry shelves.   TCT’s model is a steady, reliable flow of support that makes a tangible difference every single week.

Two Can Tuesday now operates in two ways:

Community Drop-Off Bins: Located throughout the Portland metro area, these bins make giving easy and accessible. Volunteers collect those donations and deliver them straight to local food pantries.

Curbside Collections in SW Portland. Volunteers pick up weekly donations from neighbors’ curbs. A simple way for entire neighborhoods to take part.

The heart of Two Can Tuesday rests in its simplicity: one small act of caring, repeated week after week, block by block, can become monumental. This ongoing effort has helped sustain food security programs and strengthened neighborhoods. 

A custom-made curbside donation bin spotted in one of Two Can Tuesday's neighborhoods, helping neighbors give back with ease.

A collection bin at one of Two Can Tuesday's business partners, the Garden Home Library

Two Can Tuesday is always growing. The team is on the lookout for more community-minded businesses to host collection bins.  They’re also recruiting new volunteers to take on curbside routes. They're ready with full training and support for anyone who'd like to get involved.

To the volunteers, donors, and organizers at Positive Charge! PDX: thank you. Your dedication, creativity, and consistency help keep Portland’s families fed and supported. Neighborhood House is grateful for your partnership.

The most recent First Tech crew visiting Neighborhood House to volunteer with our Food Security Program.

First Tech Federal Credit Union employees have always shown up for their community in a big way. A few times each year, staff from across the region come together at Neighborhood House. They volunteer to help our Food Security Program and our Winter Wishes toy and supply drive. These teams bring compassion and a shared commitment to see our neighbors thrive!

Volunteers distribute fresh food, organize donations, and ensure that families receive essential supplies. And through every task, they bring contagious energy.

For Thao, a First Tech employee, the sense of connection and shared purpose makes each visit special:

“Every time I get the chance to volunteer at Neighborhood House, I always have an amazing time. The staff are great people to be around, but most importantly, what they do for the community is special! Any opportunity I get to volunteer with our team at First Tech, I’m there.”

We are grateful for First Tech’s continued partnership. Their volunteers embody the spirit of community care. They prove that when people come together, we can find joy in meaningful service.

First Tech employees lending a hand and moving an impressive amount of onions during a volunteer shift.

Rafa, our Food Delivery Service Coordinator, and a volunteer preparing for a food box delivery run to support our neighbors.

A huge thank-you to our partners at DoorDash!  Each year, we partner with DoorDash to deliver food boxes to our Free Food Market members.  

With the rise in requests for food assistance, DoorDash stepped up. They waived all Project DASH delivery fees for the entire month of November. This helped us get food to more neighbors safely and quickly, right when it mattered most.

We’re grateful for DoorDash’s partnership and ongoing dedication to our community.

Our Free Food Market will close temporarily as we transition to our new location on SW Barbur. But during this time, we will double the number of food box deliveries. Along with prepared boxes for pick-up, we're working to ensure neighbors continue to access fresh, nourishing food.

The Center 55+ is looking for Volunteer Instructors! As the Center 55+ looks ahead to our future reopening, we’re excited to welcome volunteers to help bring energy, connection, and joy to our programs! We’re currently recruiting for the following volunteer instructors:

Robert Ewing, our volunteer Tai Chi instructor, leading a class at our former Senior Center location.

Book Club/Discussion Leader – Guide engaging conversations and foster a love of reading.

Chair Exercise Instructor – Lead gentle, accessible fitness classes to support wellness and mobility.

Dance Instructor – Share your passion for dance and keep our community moving to the rhythm.

Bingo Facilitator – Host lively bingo sessions that bring fun and camaraderie to participants.

If you enjoy sharing your skills, building community, and making a difference, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to Julia Mayfield, our Volunteer Engagement Specialist.