Homelessness nearly killed Chad. After three months on the street, a brutal fight over a stolen tent landed him in the hospital, unconscious and with staples in his head. With nowhere safe to recuperate, he needed help. Heavy drinking lost him his job and the room he rented.
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News
Battling Indifference to Human Suffering
The COVID-19 crisis, and the economic strain accompanying it, has increased stress on our guests tremendously, especially for those experiencing mental illness or addiction. At Blanchet House, we have witnessed
Sack Lunch Program Expands Meal Service During COVID-19
The morning after Oregon limited indoor dining because of COVID-19, a long line of tired and hungry people were able to pick up breakfast and coffee at Blanchet House. In fewer than 24 hours, staff developed a takeaway meal
More than 2,000 meals served daily at Blanchet House
The following is an expert from OPB’s Rebecca Ellis’s article on Blanchet House’s to-go meal service. While officials remain worried about the public health implications of crowded lines, the governor’s office clarified that
Blanchet House serves to-go meals, takes-in closed restaurants’ food during COVID19 outbreak
In accordance with Gov. Kate Brown’s order to ban all seated dining of 25 people or more, we have pivoted to serving to-go meals. Our cafe doors are still open to the hungry three times a day,
Success Story: Moving On After Making Change
“A long time ago I didn’t have hope but now I do,” says departing and much loved Blanchet House resident, Jay Mac. You may remember Jay as a superstar cafe host who was featured in a KGW television news segment with Joey Harrington in 2018. Jay gained recognition from the
Rebuilding His Life by Helping Others
If you have visited our café recently, you will notice there are a few changes that make the room feel even more welcoming. Decorative pumpkins line our windows, soy sauce packets are put on the table, and guests who knock on our windows after meal service receive a sandwich brought
From Machu Picchu to Under the Burnside Bridge: A Lifetime of Service
Mary Grace McDermott, age 88, isn’t listed on the wall of founders at Blanchet House of Hospitality, but her service in the early days of the organization helped make it what it is today. She met the young men who started the Blanchet House mission while attending the University of Portland
Finding Life After Prison at Blanchet House
After 18 years of wrongful imprisonment, Danté Farmer is free to create his future. Without any physical barriers, the Portland native is finding personal success working as Blanchet House’s assistant cook, an expert gang witness and a minister. When released from prison, his attorneys thought Blanchet House would be a
“I want my kids in my life so I must recover.”
Brian B. grew up in what he calls the “armpit of California”— the Mojave Desert region. It was an economically depressed area and there weren’t many job opportunities which resulted in the prevalence of crime, drugs and gangs. “I had my first gun pulled on me when I was 15,”
Forgiving Yourself is the Hardest Kind of Forgiveness
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Clint asks while reflecting on his journey to sobriety. For Clint, and for thousands like him, his addiction stems from both a genetic predisposition and past trauma. “I had a dysfunctional family. My mom suffers from schizophrenia. She had a schizophrenic
Volunteer Spotlight: Rebecca Cranor
Of the eighteen meals Blanchet House serves every week, only two are always the same: spaghetti for Wednesday dinners and pizza for Saturday lunches. These meals are consistently the most-attended of the week, with guests coming from near and far to dine on Blanchet House’s homemade red sauce and pizza
Filling Our Cups With Service
By Scott Kerman “How do you do it?” That’s what I asked a volunteer who comes again and again in the morning to serve breakfast despite her very busy personal and professional life. She responded, “It fills my cup.” “That’s perfect,” I replied. Blanchet House fills our cups. It’s why
How JD Got His Spark Back
Around Blanchet House JD is known as a calm, kind, reliable and wise leader. It’s hard to imagine that just a couple years ago he drank himself into a 10-day stay in the intensive care unit due to liver failure. “I lost my restaurants and catering business after the crash
From Jail to Farm: A Reason to Live
Growing up in San Francisco, Calif., Dean likely never envisioned he’d find sobriety among goats and pigs in rural Oregon. He was raised with his sister by a single mother who sold drugs to support her family. Without a baby sitter, she had her children ingest enough marijuana smoke to
Blanchet Farm is Helping Men Rebuild Their Lives
Blanchet Farm in Carlton, Oregon which is operated by nonprofit Blanchet House in Portland has been offering a program to men struggling with addiction and homelessness since 1962. Danny Welch has been living at the farm for a year. He’s learned carpentry, worked on his sobriety thanks to therapy pigs
Some may be wondering why we made a mad dash to Oregon
It was a last minute trip for sure. But, when the grace of God opens a door, you walk through it. Our second oldest son, Dylan Thomas, has struggled with addiction for years now. It has been a maddening, scary, lonely journey that none of us, including him, wants to
“You can end up in a bad position pretty fast”
After successfully graduating from JobCorps’ Culinary Arts program Christian slept on the couch of a friend’s apartment in Gresham. He found a job washing dishes at a prestigious athletic club in downtown Portland. It required him to take the MAX train every day which was an expense he hadn’t
Off the Street, Back to Blanchet
It was the early 90s in Portland. Jessica Carroll had a mohawk, a methamphetamine addiction, and most nights slept under the SW Clay St. overpass. 17-years-old, homeless and hungry she would often eat at the Blanchet House of Hospitality. “It was a place I could always go to eat,” says
Portland Police Explain Homeless Camp Sweeps
To the passerby, a homeless camp sweep may seem like a heartless way for the police to force homeless people out of sight without doing much to find a sustainable solution. But the relationship between the police and the homeless population is much more complex and so are the many