Portland People’s Outreach Project (PPOP)

Mission

Our mission is to reduce harms associated with drug use and life on the street while building community, connecting those experiencing addiction to various levels of care, and empowering people to seek further positive change. PPOP serves our unhoused neighbors who use drugs with a mobile outreach providing food and water, harm reduction tools (including overdose prevention supplies), and wound care, safe sex, hygiene and survival supplies. Additionally, our Drop-in Center offers indoor respite, onsite medical care and HIV/Hepatitis testing and our 24/7 hotline provides information and referrals. 

Meeting our goal will support overhead for our Drop-In Center as well as our food program for the 2024 year!

Bottom Line for Portland

PPOP gets life saving aid out to people living on the margins while reducing overdose, disease transmission and contributing to positive public health outcomes. Every year, we serve 10,000 community members who are falling through the cracks of social services, distribute 5000 meals, and 9000 doses of life-saving naloxone (Narcan). Most importantly, however, is the love, friendship and radical acceptance we offer. 

We see the impact when people thank us for going the extra mile, when they tell us we saved their partners’ life, when they volunteer with us, welcomed into our community with open arms, and realize they have the wisdom and power to enact the change they want in their own lives.

Quote

"I started going to PPOP about five years ago, and I went a couple times and somebody asked me if I wanted to go to detox and they basically helped me get in, and saved my life. I was on the way down. So uh, yeah, Portland People’s Outreach Project is about harm reduction in real time.” -Eric

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At PPOP’s core, we center the voices and needs of the people we serve and are one of the only programs in the area that provides community and volunteer opportunities to drug users, a group that experiences exclusion from housing and shelter programs and problematic interactions with healthcare institutions and law enforcement. 

Our services are as low barrier as they come: we require no paperwork, appointment, identification, shoes, or state of mind. We offer specialized assistance to disabled participants, delivering supplies to vehicles or tents as needed, welcome those with communication challenges arising from mental illness, and provide culturally specific referrals whenever possible.

Incentives

All donors get a hand-designed PPOP sticker!

First 10 donors will be entered to win a $25 gift card from Fire on the Mountain!

First 40 donors 35 and under will get a Lion's Mane Mushroom Tincture from Fantastic Fungorum!

November donations over $100 will be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Mississippi Records! 5 winners chosen!

December donations over $100 will be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Mississippi Records! 5 winners chosen!

All donors over $200 will receive a limited edition, hand-designed PPOP t-shirt!

First 2 donors over $500 get a $50 gift certificate for Por Que No and a hand-designed PPOP t-shirt!

Last 8 donations in December receive a Lion's Mane Mushroom Tincture from Fantastic Fungorum!

Partner(s)

PPOP is partnering with Rahab Sisters and EQUI Institute, two other fabulous non-profits supporting the unhoused communities, to host a fundraiser–The Solidarity Soiree–on December 2nd. The event features drag performances, flash tattoos, food, drinks and dancing! This collaboration with Rahab and EQUI includes shared resources, mentorship and mutual social media promotion. Please consider donating to Rahab's Give!Guide campaign as well!

Mississippi Records donated $500 in gift cards and is promoting us through their newsletters! 

Fantastic Fungorum donated 48 mushroom tinctures and is promoting us on social media! 

Specialty restaurants Por Que No and Fire on the Mountain have donated gift cards to us as well as social media promotion! Fire on the Mountain has led a fundraiser for us in the past.

Portland Street Medicine, who provides low barrier medical and other care through street outreach and at PPOP’s warehouse, is supporting us through social media posts and fundraiser promotion. Please consider donating to Portland Street Medicine's Give!Guide campaign as well!