There are many useful and easily accessible resources available in and around the Gresham area. Resources that range from food kitchens/pantries to shelters of all kinds can be found within Multnomah County. A few that might be of interest are SnowCap, W.I.C, Snap, and some shelters include A Home For Everyone, which is a youth shelter, and My Father’s House, which is a transitional, non-profit shelter ministry. In addition, The Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center, or SMYRC, is a great LGBTQ+ youth day center in Portland. For more information, visit: https://newavenues.org/smyrc/. 

Some important food resources that are available are SnowCap and SNAP. SnowCap Community Charities is a place you can go for food and in some cases clothing. They provide monthly home deliveries for seniors, and offer their clothing closet by appointment. It is only for residents who live East if 82nd Ave. and within Mlt. County. Family’s/users may only use SnowCap’s food pantry services one a month. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides food stamps for low to no income familes/individuals. The stamps can be used for food and formula and are accepted at many stores in our region. For example most Fred Meyers, Targets, Grocery Outlets, Safeways, Bi-Marts, 7 Elevens, and pharmacies like Walgreens and Rite-Aid. 

One big program that helps women in need in our area is W.I.C. (Women Infants and Children). This organization provides women with nutrition education classes, breastfeeding support, in some cases breast pumps, and monthly vouchers for certain healthy foods as well as other support. Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have just given birth, and children up to 5 years of age are eligible for support from W.I.C. An important piece of information to note is that this program will moniter and regulate what the food vouchers can be spent on, whether or not you are attending classes and having regular evaluations on eligibility. 

Out of the many shelters available in the Portland and surrounding areas, a couple that stand out are My Father’s house and A Home For Everyone. Both accept youth and are temporary housing, though A Home For Everyone only take in houseless individuals under the age of 25. It is located at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd #600, Portland, OR 97214. My Father’s House provides housing, food, clothing, and safety for low income families. There are curfews and rules set in place for the residents to keep a clean and organized environment. It is located at 5003 Powell Blvd, Gresham, OR 97030. 

While there are many resources available to the people of Oregon, these are just a few that stand out because of their accessibility to youth, women, families, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Just know that if you are struggling and having a difficult time finding where to start, there is help all around! Below are the Websites and phone numbers for each program listed in this article. 

 https://www.multco.us/wic  #(503) 988-3503 

https://www.familyshelter.org/   #(503) 492-3046

https://ahomeforeveryone.net/  #(503) 988-2525 

https://www.snowcap.org/  #(503) 674-8785

https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/assistance/food-benefits/pages/index.aspx #(503)​-945-5600 

https://newavenues.org/smyrc/ #(503) 872-9664