July 27.2011
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Page 21
4 new bunding is an the drawing boards for the Blanchet House, a longtime downtown landmark for feeding and bousing the disadvantaged.
Support Grows for New Blanchet House
Site would continue decades
of service to the needy
The Blanchet House of Hospital-
tty, a Portland based non-profit, has
received $1.3 million from several
community partners and leaders as
gifts for the campaign for a new and
improved building to serve the home-
less and needy in Portland.
These gifts will help ensure that
the Blanchet House will be able to
house and feed the disadvantaged
as it has admirably done for nearly
6° y ears-
In February, the downtown char-
ity received a $500,000 donation
from Scott Duffens who witnessed
firsthand the impact his gift would
have by volunteering to serve dur-
ing a recent lunch shift and was
moved by the simple yet effective
operation.
In addition to this personal gift,
the Blanchet House received recent
gifts from three of the areas re-
nowned charitable organizations:
the M urdock T ru st aw ard ed
$450,000: the Collins Foundation
awarded $200,000; and the Maybelle
Clark MacDonald Fund awarded
$ 150,000 towards a ne w bui Iding to
house the services that Blanchet
House provides,
“Words cannot begin to convey
our gratitude for these amazing
gifts” says Board President Rich
Ulring. “Our project will replace a
blighted comer of Old Town with an
attractive and energy efficient new
building specifically designed to
increase our capacity to help those
in need. “
Ulring said the charity still has
about $1.3 mi Ilion to raise, but due to
the amazing support of our private
donors, charitable foundations and
the local business community, is on
track to break ground later this year.
Back to School Supplies
As the beginning of the school portunity be prepared for the up-
year is creeping back in, one local coming year,
learning center will be holding a
P eep’s Learning Center has or-
school supply event to give kids ganized the free “Ask and it shall
throughout the community the op- be given” school supplies distri-
The new location will be almost
three times the size of the current
facility, making it possible to greatly
expand the services offered and fea­
turing a unique indoor queuing area
for those waiting to be served.
Consistent with the current Blanchet
House, there will be housing lo­
cated above the kitchen for formerly
homeless residents who work at the
Blanchet House. The construction
process is expected to last 12 to 13
months.
E x ec u tiv e D irec to r B rian
Ferschweiler added, “During the
next 16 months we will continue
normal operations at our current
location while making sure our fo­
cus remains on those in need during
this transition.”
The Blanchet House began its
service to the Portland community
in 1952 when a group of University
of Portland students began to de­
vise a plan to help the needy. They
started by serving a simple meal
consisting of beans, bread, butter
bution which will be held Satur­
day, Aug. 6 from noon to 2 p.m.
inside the church at 5637 N.E. 14th
Ave.
For more information or to donate
supplies, call 503-208-0225 ore-mail
info@peepsleamingcenter.org.
and coffee. Many of the original
founders are still involved and ac­
tive on the Blanchet House Emeri­
tus Board.
Today Blanchet serves roughly
800 meals a day, six days a week, and
totaling nearly 300,000 free meals
per year. Blanchet also provides
housing to 30 men, who must remain
clean and sober to live and work at
the Blanchet House.
The men are assigned specific
duties and work daily shifts pre­
paring meals in the kitchen that
they later serve, followed by clean-
up and m aintenance o f the cafete­
ria .
R e s id e n ts team w ith
B lan ch et's’ 4,000 annual volun­
teers and together continue the
o rg an izatio n ’s sim ple m ission,
"To feed, clothe and offer shelter
to those in need.”
Over the past 59 years, Blanchet
has prepared more than 14 million
meals, provided more than one mil­
lion nights lodging and distributed,
tens of thousands of items of cloth­
ing - all without public funding. For
more information on the Blanchet
House visit blanchethouse.org.
THE LAW OFFICES OF
Patrick John Sweeney, PC.
Patrick John Sweeney
Attorney at Law
1549 SE Ladd
Portland, Oregon
Portland:
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(503)615-0425
(503) 244-2084
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