Caring for Our Neighbors During COVID-19

Below you’ll find organizations Bridgetown partners with who are on the frontlines bridging the gap for the most vulnerable individuals and families in our community, working tirelessly to get basic needs and resources to foster families, refugee families, and unsheltered neighbors. We invite you to consider these organizations as you pray about potentially giving away the check from the government, or simply if you want to send diapers to a family, pack a lunch for a neighbor, or contribute to someone’s utility bill.

Support Foster Families

Every Child Oregon has launched an emergency response system called My NeighbOR which serves Oregon’s most vulnerable children by connecting goods and services from community members to foster families and youth in foster care. 

  • Want to donate gift cards for groceries, diapers and wipes, educational tools, laptops or tablets, assemble a Flash Box, or something else? Fill out this form to sign up.

Bridgetown Church is an official Anchor Site in Portland: a designated drop-off/pick-up location for Flash Boxes, laptops/tablets, and diapers/wipes. You can drop-off these items at the new building every Monday and Wednesday from 10 AM – 12 PM in the back parking lot off NE Tillamook St.

With Love Oregon works to help foster families change the lives of children ages 0-6 by providing resources that nurture dignity, hope and community. 

Support Refugee Families

Refugee Care Collective mobilizes the city of Portland to serve diverse populations of refugees being resettled in the Portland Metro area, in order to empower refugees to rebuild their lives and step more fully into self-sustainability. 

  • Want to help cover a utility bill, send essential items like diapers and food to their doorstep, or meet another daily need of our refugee neighbors? Give to Refugee Care Collective’s Emergency Relief Fund.

Support Unsheltered Neighbors

Because People Matter exists to develop and sustain relational environments that create movement within groups and individuals to demonstrate love and generosity lived out in the world. 

  • Want to provide a meal for one of our unsheltered neighbors? Sign up here to provide lunches each week and to learn what goes in them. 

Because People Matter have discovered that organizations are struggling to meet the increasing need of folks for food each day. Lunches dropped off at Bridgetown Church (Wednesdays 10 AM – 12 PM) will be picked up by a representative from BPM and delivered to orgs throughout the city like: Blanchet House, Portland Rescue Mission, CityTeam, Union Gospel Mission, and anyone else in need.

Other Ideas

  • Remember to check in on your literal neighbor
  • Shop for others while you shop for yourself
  • Send notes of encouragement and gratitude to frontline workers
  • Support local restaurants when you can
  • For more ideas, download this idea guide