William Temple House

Mission

William Temple House provides food, counseling, clothing, and household items to Portland-area neighbors to strengthen our community. Our vision is that everyone in our community is fully nourished--emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Bottom Line for Portland

William Temple House has been offering free, holistic support to our community for nearly 60 years. In 2023, we supported over 5,000 Portlanders with low-cost counseling, free food, hygiene items and clothing through our pantry, connection to external resources, and more. 

This comprehensive support enhances the health of our entire community: when a person is nourished, they can nourish others. Every donation to William Temple House supports our mission and will help us meet surging demand this year: a 50% increase in pantry visitors and a counseling waitlist of 1-3 months. No one should face hunger and mental health issues without support. Join us in continuing to provide food, counseling and connection through our 60th year! 

Quote

“I can’t even express or find words to show my appreciation for how many times y’all have helped feed us in desperate times.” - Food Pantry Visitor 

“Our entire family has used your services and we are all so very thankful for the care we’ve received. Our lives have become less suffering and more joy through the counseling we each experienced.” - Counseling Client

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Rates of food insecurity and mental illness are higher in historically marginalized communities, such as BIPOC, immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities. These same groups also face higher barriers to accessing appropriate, inclusive services. These two realities are why equity and justice are the core values guiding our work at William Temple House. We serve a diverse and complex community: a third of our food pantry clients face housing insecurity, a significant portion speak Mandarin as their first language, and a third of our counseling clients identify as LGBTQIA+. We provide our services through a DEI lens, from decision-making and recruitment, to everyday program activities, like having staff speak basic Mandarin during pantry services and training in trauma-informed practices.

Incentives

You can win big every Big Give Day – the 5th donor ($25+) on every Big Give Day will get a $50 gift card to our Thrift Store! There are 13 chances to win.

November: 

Nov. 1: Donors who give $75+ will get a free 4-pack of Eva’s Spritz non-alcoholic beverages from For Bitter For Worse. While supplies last.

Nov. 6: The 5th donor of the day (10+) will get a free bottle of A to Z Rose Bubbles & the 10th donor (25+) will get a $50 William Temple House Thrift Store Gift Card.

Nov. 13: The last donor of the day will get a free bottle of A to Z Rose Bubbles.

Nov. 26: All donors will get a voucher for a free 12 oz. drip coffee from Portland Hostel Café. 

December: 

Dec. 3: The 20th person to donate (10+ minimum) will receive a one-night yurt stay at Zigzag Mountain Farm at the base of Mount Hood, courtesy of the Hostel Cafe! Each donation counts as a separate entry. 

Dec. 11: The 10th donor of the day will get a free bottle of A to Z Rose Bubbles. 

Dec. 18: The fifth person to donate $50 will receive a curated WildlyKind self-care box, full of organically crafted self-care items from local businesses. 

Dec. 27: Every donor who gives $25+ will get a free movie pass to Cinema 21. 

Dec. 29th: The third person to donate $250 will receive a bottle of Soter Brut Rose 2010 (valued at $120). 

Dec. 30: The last donor to give $250+ will get a bottle of Paolo Scavino Bric del Fiasc 2004 Barolo to ring in the new year (valued at $150)

*Every donor will get a sticker designed by Emma Friese 

Partner(s)

Thank you to our three business partners and two nonprofit partners this year: 

Cinema 21, our long-time partner and neighbor. Cinema 21 is an iconic independent art theater in downtown Portland. 

For Bitter For Worse, a new local business that creates award-winning, complex and tasty non-alcoholic drinks. 

The Hostel Cafe, a community hub and cafe offering scratch-made classic American fare and coffee. The NW Portland Hostel was voted the third best midsize hostel in the world in 2020. 

p:ear, whose mission is to build positive relationships with homeless youth through education, art, recreation, and job training.

Wildly Kind, a recently-founded non-profit with a mission of spreading kindness and togetherness through individual and community acts of kindness.