Do Good Multnomah

06/02/2026

Attention! An amendment to Multnomah County’s proposed 2027 budget would CLOSE the North Portland Drop-In Center!

If passed, the HUNDREDS of individuals who use the Drop-In Center would be left without access to bathrooms, shelter referrals, peer support services, mail services and more — all without a deadline for when another similar facility would open up. It would undo months and months of relationship-building that is required for folks to get and stay housed.

If the goal is to lessen the impact of the houseless community on the neighborhood of St. Johns, closing the Drop-In Center will only worsen the problem, as the community that accesses the Center will have no place to go.

"The loss of staff and peer support poses operational risks to the nearby North Portland health clinic. Without the day center, clients are likely to congregate at the clinic, repeating previous issues with overcrowding and staff disruptions." — Multnomah County Homeless Services Department

We agree that there is a DIRE NEED for houseless services in St. Johns and the greater North Portland area. But we believe this is NOT THE APPROACH, and will only HARM folks who need daily services in the short term.

County Commissioners will be voting on the budget this Thursday, June 4. Please help us advocate for this facility and the folks it serves by submitting a public comment via email at [email protected].

05/28/2026

This year's Memorial Day Ruck March was full of so much life and energy — thank you to all our sponsors who made it possible and came out in droves to join the march themselves.

The event featured over 220 attendees across all routes, brought in tens of thousands of dollars and tons of donated items we can give to Veterans and civilians across our program sites. It's been genuinely heartwarming to see so much support — lively, vocal support — for Veterans experiencing houselessness in our community. All proceeds from this year's event will be put toward sustaining our Veteran programming in the face of potential region-wide cuts to homeless services.

We look forward to seeing you all next year, and be sure to tell your friends!

Our Sponsors: Columbia Sportswear, Machinists Union, CareOregon, University of Portland, NW Natural, Housecall Providers, Cedar Hills Hospital, CareOregon, The Mission Continues, and all who joined us!

05/21/2026

The 2026 Memorial Day Ruck March is on Monday! As it does every year, the Ruck March falls in the final days of Mental Health Awareness Month — and that’s by design. Research has consistently shown that Veterans face disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges upon returning from service. Those challenges are often contributing factors that can lead toward experiencing houselessness.

We’re rucking to raise support for our Veteran programs that, among other things, help Veterans get access to key mental health support that can help them toward sustainable housing. All proceeds will go to sustaining our existing program sites across the Portland area. (last year, we raised $40,000!)

Learhn more of register for the Ruck at the link in our bio or by visiting www.dogoodruck.org. We’re excited to see you there!

05/19/2026

Overcoming houselessness can sometimes be as much about lifting material barriers as it can be about mental ones. Sometimes all it takes is hearing someone say "you belong." Last year, Michael found permanent housing with the help of staff at Do Good's Roseway Shelter in Northeast Portland.

Michael attributes much of his success to the sense of community at Roseway that helped him believe in himself and figure out what independence could look like for him. He specifically thanked program manager Heidi and case manager Autumn for making him feel so welcomed and heard while working out logistics around his housing options.

"It's about treating participants with utmost respect and dignity, listening to them and being there, being that voice for them. It’s excruciatingly important," said Heidi, Roseway's program manager.

05/19/2026

The 2026 Ruck March is next Monday, and your support could make all the difference.

“The biggest misconception right now is that Veteran funding is secure and that they’re the safe population. But doing this work every day, I’m seeing that is not necessarily the case. A lot of the funding pools we’ve had in the past are drying up." — Angelina, U.S. Navy Vet and Do Good program manager

What we need most in these uncertain times is support from you all, our community, to make sure our Veteran neighbors don’t fall through the cracks.

Whether you join us by making a simple donation or marching with us in memory of service members at the Ruck, your contributions create certainty for Veterans. Register for the Ruck today!

Do Good's Annual Ruck March is a community event this Memorial Day to support Do Good Multnomah. Every day, 18 Veterans die by su***de in the U.S. Lets do something about it.

05/16/2026

Today is Armed Forces Day, a time to recognize the 1.3 million active service members across all six branches currently serving in uniform. The day falls in May in honor of the unification of our military in 1950. At Do Good Multnomah, it's our job to be there for folks when they return home from service — no matter their length of service, no matter where or how they served.

For far too long, our returning service members have found challenge with accessing consistent employment, housing and stability with behavioral and mental health. We pledge to do what we can to bridge those gaps and end patterns of disservice toward our Veterans.

Thank you again to those serving today. We aim to be ready to serve you tomorrow.

05/14/2026

Dollars alone will not solve Portland's housing crisis. What really turns the gears are sustained relationships like the one we've been lucky to cultivate with the Columbia Sportswear Company these last few years.

Since 2024, Columbia Sportswear has been a key sponsor for our Annual Ruck March. Their donations go far for our programs, but what makes the difference is that they spread the word, gather a team and show up to march alongside us.

"As a veteran, it’s a privilege for me and Columbia Sportswear Company to partner with Do Good over the last several years to support the Memorial Day Ruck; honoring fallen heroes by helping address veteran houselessness in our community…never forget those who gave their all and never stop serving." —Ryan McGrory, Columbia Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

We're excited to see the team that Columbia brings for this year's Ruck — and we'd love to see you there too! All proceeds from this year's march will go toward sustaining our Veteran programming.

Memorial Day | May 25, 2026
4, 6, 12 mile routes available
Starting at 8am at the University of Portland

Register now here: https://give.dogoodmultnomah.org/event/the-2026-do-good-annual-ruck-march/e760266

05/12/2026

Do Good staffers come from all walks of life.

Take Ryan (left) and Jacob (right), for example: they're case managers at Kiggins Village in Vancouver. Each day, they help folks staying at the shelter establish healthy routines, get essential documents needed for work or housing and talk through personal challenges. It takes incredible emotional intelligence and persistence to be a role model for folks who are sometimes at their lowest moments.

But Ryan and Jacob aren't social services careerists. Ryan spent two decades in corporate sales for a beverage company. And Jacob first went to school to become a wildland firefighter.

For both of them, the uncertainty and chaos COVID-19 pandemic presented a fork in the road. They both dove into social work seeking a different sort of fulfillment in their work during a weird time for our world.

"I battle with issues of self esteem and confidence myself, and I know how important that is in a person’s life. It’s not like we’re doing these big important things on a daily basis. A lot of times with individuals, I look for opportunities to lift them up, to celebrate a little win. That’s a connection that makes them feel seen and fills them with something." — Ryan

"And it's a gift to us, too. In a time of isolation, our job can be pretty fortunate to build relationships, get to know people and help work through their problems." — Jacob

We do this work because people in our own communities need us. As Ryan says, "there's no secret sauce." We're just in a time where we need more folks like them to recognize they've got it in them to make a different kind of change in their world.

05/07/2026

“No judgements. They treat you like you’re a human being, like you’re one of them. They’re understanding about a lot of things, they’ll work with you as much possible as long as you’re willing to work with them.” — Becky, Drop-In Center participant

Meet Becky — a regular participant at the North Portland Drop-In Center in St. Johns. She first sought out services from the program last summer to get out of the heat. Staff have helped Becky get her hands on necessary documents — social security, legal support, a new ID and more.

An equally important part of her visits, however, is to have someone listen to her about the challenges she’s faced. The warmth she’s felt from staff is unlike any other shelter program she’s been to, she said.

With almost all her documents finally back in hand, Becky is nearing the finish line for her own housing. The priority: find a place comfortable for her *three* dogs!

05/07/2026

On May 6th, 11 years ago today, Do Good Multnomah was officially approved as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting houseless Veterans in our community. Each year, this date offers a time to reflect on how much the scope of our services has grown and changed, as has the severity of our region’s housing crisis.

In 2015, we opened with just a single, one-room site in the basement of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Downtown Portland. The idea was simple: provide a place for respite for Veterans in need. These things we now see as everyday – the idea of ‘case management,’ terms like ‘permanent supportive housing,’ and deep relationships built with partner organizations – they were unimaginable when we first started.

In the years that have followed, new programs have opened, closed and opened again. We’ve offered shelter, meals, referrals to long-term care and housing to thousands. It’s remarkable and humbling to reflect on how we’ve been able to grow to now manage over a dozen programs across our city – not to mention expand down into Clackamas and up north in Vancouver.

And in the same breath, it’s heartbreaking to see just how much our region’s housing crisis has worsened. Today, an estimated 18,000 people are experiencing houselessness in Multnomah County – the most ever recorded. It’s a crisis with multiple contributing factors that requires us to be flexible and versatile all while resources remain thin. We are all learning and working every day to solve a problem that’s never been solved before.

What makes the difference and allows us to keep finding success in this work is you all, our staff, who continue to build important relationships with our participants so that they trust us and believe in themselves to overcome challenges.

We are proud to have reached another year of service and remain excited to see how this growth will continue.

Thank you to all our partner organizations – , , , , , , , the local VA and all our fellow nonprofits who we learn from each day.