Free Food and Meals for Everyone

Free food and meals are available for everyone to enjoy in the Founders Cafe. One entree (meat or vegetarian) with sides is served at every meal service Monday-Saturday.

Meal Service Schedule

Meals are served indoors by volunteer servers at 310 NW Glisan, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday. Guests are welcome to multiple servings. Dogs are welcomed if they are well-behaved and on a leash. On-street pay to park.

Breakfast

6:30 to 7:25 a.m.

Hot coffee, oatmeal or grits, pastry, and fruit.

Lunch

11:30 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.

Entree with salad, bread, fruit, and dessert. Variety of drinks.

On Saturdays, we offer sack lunches to take with you.

Dinner

5:00 to 5:55 p.m.

Hot entree with bread, salad, fruit, and dessert. Variety of drinks.

Wednesday is always spaghetti night!

Founders Cafe: Free Food and Meals

 

Everyone is invited to Blanchet House to enjoy free hot meals in our beautiful cafe. Since 1952, Blanchet House has offered nutritious meals in a safe, clean, and friendly dining room to anyone who would like them. Volunteers serve everyone with dignity and respect.

Learn more about Blanchet House’s mission.

Woman eating at a table in Blanchet House. Blanchet House founders cafe free food meal services Christine Dong

How It Works

Guests in line for free food and meal services at Blanchet House. credit Justin Katigbak.

Guests usually line up a few minutes prior to our doors opening but do not need to. Come toward the end of the hour if you prefer not to wait in line. Everyone will receive a meal. We never run out of food.

What to expect as a diner:

  • Delicious, nutritious hot meals. (On Saturdays we serve sack lunches.)
  • Meat or vegetarian selection. We cannot accommodate dietary restrictions.
  • All-you-can-eat. You’re welcome to multiple servings. We ask that you get in line for each serving so everyone can eat quickly.
  • Everyone is served the same dishes and portion sizes to ensure equity. We serve an average of 1,200 meals daily.

Our Ingredients

Blanchet House rescues fresh, surplus food from businesses around Portland like Trader Joe’s. We take in more than 300,000 pounds of donated food annually, inspect it for quality, prepare meals and store it, then share extras with peer groups. All other food is purchased from the Oregon Food Bank.

Every dish is prepared, cooked, and served with care by professional cooks, volunteers, and the men residing in our residential program. We strive to serve a balanced plate of protein, vegetables, carbohydrates, and fruit. We also consider the dental challenges of our guests by serving pre-cut soft entrees. It is hard to predict what ingredients might be donated on any given day so we have to be creative with our daily menus.

Call us if you have food to donate at 503-241-4340.

Volunteer

 

It’s easier than ever to make a difference. Sign up to volunteer.

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Donate

 

Give the gift of hot meals. $20 pays for 13 meals with coffee.

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USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Page updated: February 15, 2023

SERVICES

We make a difference, one relationship at a time, through food, clothing, and supportive housing programs.
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LEARN

We welcome and serve meals to everyone with compassion and dignity. Join as a guest, a volunteer, a resident, a donor, or a supporter.
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GET INVOLVED

There are many people in immediate need of food, clothing, access to hygiene, shelter, community, and hope.
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DONATE

Your gift will help stabilize lives by providing meals, transitional housing, and other vital services to vulnerable individuals and families.
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