Feel Good Friday - Providence Hospice of Oregon

I’ve been highlighting organizations in Oregon the last few weeks because I’ve been here taking care of a relative in hospice care, which leads me to today’s organization, Providence Hospice of Oregon.

Part of Providence Health System, Providence Hospice of Oregon “provides expert, compassionate care for individuals” facing the end of life. Their vision is “health for a better world.”

The hospice team at Providence works with the patient’s primary caregivers, people like me, to provide the support needed to keep the patient in their own home, living as fully and completely as possible and being able to spend time with family and friends.

Hospice is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance. The team at Providence Hospice brings the care to the patient’s home. We had regular visits from a Registered Nurse and speedy deliveries of equipment, medications and supplies. There is a 24/7 hotline staffed by RNs available to answer questions and coordinate logistics for the caregivers.

They also provide chaplains, social workers and additional therapies such as massage, acupuncture and music thanatologists who “use harp and voice to create an atmosphere of serenity and comfort to calm and soothe the patient.” You can view the full list of services here. 

It’s been a difficult time, which has come to an inevitable end. Throughout it all, the team at Providence Hospice of Oregon was professional, attentive and caring. You can let more people know about this service by supporting them on social media. Like the Providence Health System Facebook page and follow them on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - Underdogs Rock! Rescue

Time in Oregon is giving me time to find people doing fantastic work here in the Pacific Northwest, including today’s featured organization, Underdogs Rock! Rescue.

Founded in 2014, Underdogs Rock! Rescue is an all-volunteer nonprofit that rescues, transports, fosters and finds forever homes for dogs in Portland, Oregon and the surrounding areas.

Their work starts by rescuing dogs from overcrowded high-kill shelters in locations around the country including Southern California and Alabama. Volunteers transport these dogs to Portland where they are matched with people in a foster home. The foster provides “much-needed love, a warm bed, routine, some basic training, trips to the vet and adoption events, as needed.”

Dog lovers in the Portland metro area can go online to see all the adoptable pets and fill out an application. After reviewing the application, Underdogs Rocks volunteers visit the potential adopter’s home to make sure the dog’s needs can be met. If it’s a good match, the adoption is approved and the celebration can begin! If you’re thinking this sounds like a great program but you’re more of a cat person, you’re in luck. Underdog Rocks also rescues, fosters and adopts cats.

Successful adoption stories are posted on the Underdogs Rocks blog. If you’d like to be part of your own success story by helping an animal move from a shelter into a loving home, there are many ways to achieve this. People living close to Portland can volunteer their time, become a foster or adopt a cat or dog. All of us can show our support by donating money and amplifying Underdogs Rock! Rescue’s work on social media. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Feel Good Friday - Gleaners

I’m in Oregon City this week and learned about a fantastic local organization that distributes resources to people in need, Gleaners of Clackamas County Inc.

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Oregon City, Oregon, Gleaners of Clackamas County Inc. (Gleaners) is a 100% volunteer-run organization that “collects and distributes food and nonfood items to limited income, elderly, and disabled residents of Clackamas County.” Their mission is to share food, reduce waste, and build community.

It all starts with gleaning, “the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.” In the early days of Gleaners, a group of volunteers picked fields and distributed food in the community. Today, while volunteers still glean farms and fields, the organization now also distributes surplus food from grocers, restaurants and food manufacturers, as well as clothing and household goods from the public.​ Learn more in this short video.

One unique aspect of Gleaners is that it is an all-volunteer, cooperatively run program. Most volunteers are members of Gleaners who work within a team. In return for paying a small monthly membership fee and working 4 hours per month, members are given a food box one to two times a week and they have access to free clothing and seasonal events like a summer picnic, back-to-school giveaways, Halloween costume exchanges and more. Members also share a portion of their food with an adoptee, someone in the community who is either 65+ years old or disabled. There is no cost or work requirements for adoptees.

Gleaners also offers emergency food boxes to people in Clackamas County who experience a sudden change in circumstance, like job loss, that prevents them from feeding their family. Membership is not required to receive this box of food.

On average, Gleaners provides 3,000 individuals with a generous supply of food every week. They also distribute any excess to church groups, food pantries and other charities bringing their overall reach to more than 5,000 people per week. 

If you want to help Gleaners reduce hunger and waste in Clackamas County, there are several ways to do so. People who live locally can become a member or volunteer. The rest of us can donate money and spread the word on social media by liking the Gleaners Facebook page.