Blankets, coffee needed during cold

The air is frigid here in Portland. It looks like the cold weather is going to continue through the week.

Union Gospel Mission serves as a temporary overflow shelter during the cold weather. Typically, Union Gospel Mission doesn't offer temporary shelter. To live at Union Gospel Mission a person needs to be part of our addiction recovery community, LifeChange. But, when it gets this cold, the Mission is an overflow night shelter with around thirty homeless people sleeping on the dining hall floor.

We give the blankets to people in the morning, and we hand the blankets out all day, so we need donations of blankets and sleeping bags. Since people are sleeping on the floor donations of mats would be great.

It would also be great to have donations of coffee (caffinated is preferred, rather than decaf!) and oatmeal, because its an easy meal to fix in the morning.

If you or someone you know would like to donate blankets, coffee or anything they can be dropped off at the Mission at 15 NW Third Avenue in Portland, or call us at 503-274-4483.

The residents of the LifeChange recovery community are really making this happen, they are staying up night shifts to monitor the guests and really showing compassion to people in need.

You can also make a donation at our website: http://www.ugmportland.org/donate.html