Union Gospel Mission Changes Christmas Plan for Homeless
A drastically different Christmas meal is on the way to hundreds in the Portland community this year.
It’s a time honored holiday tradition. “Typically on Christmas and all of the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, we open up our dining hall. We decorate it. We like to make it a celebration, ” says the Union Gospel Mission’s Courtney Dodds.
But this year the pandemic’s forcing the mission to change its plan. “Because of the pandemic we’re unable to gather a big group in our dining hall,” Dodds says.
She says instead of inviting the homeless in for a sit down holiday meal, “On Christmas Day we’re going to do a to-go Christmas meal in the morning.”
They’re also delivering meals throughout the city for the whole week, which means they’ll feed almost twice as many as usual. “Because we’re taking it mobile, it’s actually more meals than we’ve served in the past. Typically on Christmas Day we would do 500 or 600. But by spreading it out all week and going beyond what we normally do downtown, we’re prepping for 1,000 meals.”
Dodds says she’s concerned, that as people remain out of work, the situation’s getting more dire. “More people do seem to be on the edge and in danger of falling into homelessness or just greater need. Homelessness has been a very visible challenge in Portland for along time and it really does seem to have increased in the last nine months.”
Meals will be provided at the mission’s downtown location, in homeless camps through the Search + Rescue mobile outreach and on the east side at the UGM overnight shelter.
The Christmas meals include ham, Au Gratin potatoes, green beans with bacon and onion, dinner rolls and butter and a snack sack for later. Blankets for those living outside will also be given as a small Christmas gift.
If you would like to help the Mission provide meals and vital services to those in need, they invite you to visit www.ugmportland.org/donate, call 503-274-4483 or mail a check to 3 NW Third Avenue Portland, OR 97209.
