A Meal.
A Home.
A Future.
Blanchet House serves every person who comes to our doors with dignity and without judgment. We believe everyone deserves food, clothes, community, and hope.
On a mission to alleviate suffering and offer hope for a better life by serving essential aid with dignity.
What We Do
Hot Meals
The Founders Café is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday-Saturday. We serve freshly prepared, well-balanced meals to anyone who comes to our doors during meal hours.
Farm Program
Blanchet Farm, located one hour outside Portland, is a men’s transitional residential program that offers an opportunity to build a healthier sober life in a rural setting.
House Program
The downtown Portland residential program offers a free safe space to recover and refocus for 8 months. Through dignity and respect, we help you build towards the life you want.
Women’s Shelter
We’re completing renovations and fundraising to open Bethanie’s Room, a women’s overnight shelter in NW Portland. The shelter will offer a safe place for up to 75 women per night.
Ways to Help
Volunteer
Compassionate people aged 14 and older are needed to serve meals, sort clothing, and more. Easily sign up online.
Donate
Your financial support makes a powerful difference in the lives of the people in need of Blanchet’s life-sustaining services.
Make
Help our guests experiencing homelessness from your home. Make toiletry care kits, sack lunches, or collect clothing and sleeping essentials.
Latest News & Events
Recent Posts / View All Posts
Where to find a free Thanksgiving Day meal or volunteer opportunities in Portland, Oregon.
SNAP Cuts Deepen Hunger in Oregon, Here’s How You Can Help Dear Friend, Blanchet House is on pace to serve more than 385,000 meals this year. That's nearly 36,000 more than…
We believe the women who come to our new shelter, Bethanie's Room, deserve more than just a room with beds. That’s why we’ve made a significant investment in a partnership…
This is an excerpt from the article "We Are What We Do," written by Peter Hartwick and published by Bittersweet Monthly. Read the full feature story with beautiful photos by…
June 06, 2025 - Statement From Blanchet House on Plans to Open Women's Shelter, Bethanie's Room, in NW Portland Blanchet House is planning to open a 75-bed overnight shelter for…
By Gabby Thuillier, Social Enterprise Manager Gardening and addiction recovery have a lot in common. Both take time, care, commitment, and the right environment to grow and heal. This connection…
One of the most common questions our staff is asked is: Why are people homeless? Closely followed by: How do we end homelessness? These are complex questions without tidy answers.…
Bob Wendover, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, and Eric Shumway at the Lend a Helping Hand Brunch held at the Portland Art Museum on March 2. A Morning of Inspiration We…
OUR PHILOSOPHY
“How we walk with the broken speaks louder than how we sit with the great.”
Our Story
Blanchet House was founded in 1952 by a group of University of Portland alumni as a house of hospitality in the model of those established by the Catholic Worker Movement.
It started with a simple mission to offer food to the unemployed in Old Town. Since then, Blanchet has grown to provide clothing, hygiene items, community, and transitional recovery programs to thousands of people every year downtown and at a farm.
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