Food, Water & Blankets for the Homeless & Their Pets

Food, Water & Blankets for the Homeless & Their Pets

UNISM has been working with low income and homeless people since 2010. We first started by providing bread to low income and homeless people. Usually we pick up bread from the local bread distributors, place an ad on Craigslist for FREE BREAD and the people would come to our office for the bread.

With the surge in homelessness in Portland, Oregon we started cooking for the homeless. We bought bread, eggs and cheese and made sandwiches which we delivered to the homeless mostly in downtown Portland, South East Portland and North East Portland.

During the Coronavirus pandemic a friend introduced us to food pantries and food donation centers mostly organized by the local churches in Portland, Oregon. We checked them out and decided to go with 2 food centers including the Portland Adventist Community Services and the Northeast Emergency Food Program. We were surprised by the quality and variety of food they gave us on our first day. We got milk, eggs, beef, chicken, vegetables, cheese, beans, rice, bread, canned foods, fruits and even organic produce. To say the least both free food centers helped us to provide food for the homeless as well as our neighbors.

However these were mostly frozen foods and the homeless population we served needed warm foods more especially during the winter so we started preparing sandwiches from the eggs, cheese, and bread we got from the food centers. We would deliver the sandwiches to the homeless during the weekend. We were happy and they were happy but we could only serve a few homeless people.

Recently on our way to the coast we stopped by a homeless center in Salem, Oregon with a bag of sandwiches we got from the food donation center. Our hope was that they would warm the sandwiches before eating but to our surprise they all ate the cold sandwiches we gave to them right away.

When I thought about what just happened it occurred to me the some homeless people are really starving and if we really want to help we should give them something that puts a smile on their faces; not leftovers and definitely not cold foods!

Giving a homeless person leftovers or cold food is like telling them that they deserve what has happened to them but I think we could do better because no condition is permanent. Our plan at UNISM is to serve the homeless with food, water and warm clothes and blankets that put a smile on their faces.

UNISM is Tax Exempt Under Section 501(c) (3) in the United States. Homelessness complicates life in general but we can help ease their challenges by giving them food, water and blankets that puts smiles on their faces. Thank you for your donation. You may contact us at UNISM, 10746 SE Highway 212, Clackamas, OR 97015. Phone: 503-309-00