Other Fundraising
Friendly House has a variety of fundraising and other events throughout the year. We hope you will be able to join us for one or more of them.
Staver Steam Up
A wonderful holiday event for the whole family! Train-lovers young and old will be charmed by the model-sized steam engine trains, decorated for the holidays. In addition to the dazzling display of trains, we have crafts for kids, raffle prizes, popcorn and hot cider. Please dress warmly, and bring your friends and family! Suggested donation of $5 per person or $20 per family accepted at the door. Date TBD in winter 2020. For more information, email info@fhpdx.org or call (503) 228-4391.
Staver Locomotive
2537 NW 29th Ave
Holiday Giving at Friendly House
Our Holiday Giving program is about making sure community members who may be lonely, isolated, or financially struggling know they are cared for. Open to our Children’s Program participants receiving scholarships and their siblings, and also our case-managed older adult clients, we make sure that everyone feels noticed and included.
What It Looks Like
Families with children submit a list of three gifts under $25 that each child would like to receive, and in mid-December we provide the parents with the requested gifts, gift wrap and tape—a respectful way to allow families who might have less to feel abundance for the holiday season. For our older adult case-managed clients, many of whom are isolated, and most of whom have extremely limited incomes, we bring together volunteers each December to create handmade holiday cards for them. These cards are mailed in mid-December along with a $25 gift card to their nearest supermarket. For some, this is the only gift they receive all year. Unfortunately, due to the number of people we serve and the capacity of our current donations, we can only make this giving program available for families and older adults served by Friendly House.
How You Can Help
We need donations of $25 grocery store gift cards, new gifts specified on children’s wish lists, gift wrap and tape. We are looking for both individuals and families to donate as well as businesses that are able to host a giving tree with tags reflecting these needs. Businesses can either make the giving opportunity available for their staff or open to the public depending on their preference. We are also looking for volunteers to join us to make cards for our senior clients.
If you are interested in being involved with our Holiday Giving program this year, please contact our Development Department or call us at 503-228-4391.
How You Can Help
We need donations of $25 grocery store gift cards, new gifts specified on children’s wish lists, gift wrap and tape. We are looking for both individuals and families to donate as well as businesses that are able to host a giving tree with tags reflecting these needs. Businesses can either make the giving opportunity available for their staff or open to the public depending on their preference. We are also looking for volunteers to join us to make cards for our senior clients.
If you are interested in being involved with our Holiday Giving program this year, please contact our Development Department or call us at 503-228-4391.
A gift recipient’s response to Friendly House.
Friendly House asked me if I wanted our family to be the recipients of Christmas gifts. I didn’t know what that meant. Truly, I thought it would be a Friendly House t-shirt or something. And I would have been grateful. The way the parenting time worked out during my separation, the only time I had when I wasn’t working and child-free was between 1:30 and 5 on Sundays. That’s not a lot of time to clean, do laundry, food shop, and possibly, if I’m lucky, catch up with a friend, let alone find the time to do Christmas shopping. And even if I did, the cost was going to set me back financially. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. When I picked up the gifts from Friendly House and saw what was in the bag, all I could do was cry. Each and every present was so perfect for my children. They were so thoughtful and good quality, and there were so dang many of them. I was so grateful and relieved, I think I cried happy, astonished tears for two days. Now that was a gift.
Friends of SAGE Awards Lunch
This annual lunch is held each June to support the older LGBT adults in our community. This one-hour event includes a delicious lunch served while guests learn about Friendly House’s SAGE Metro Portland program, and present awards to those who have made significant contributions to the LGBT older adult community.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to hold our award ceremony and fundraising event in person for 2020. Instead we ask that you please join SAGE Metro Portland in celebrating for the entire month of June. Tune in to our Facebook page and the event site during the week of June 15-18. We will announce a new winner each day – sharing stories, pictures, tributes, and air videos of our winners acceptance speeches. Please help us continue to serve our LGBT older adults by making a donation to SAGE Metro Portland during the month of June. More information is available from our Development Department at donate@fhpdx.org.
Congratulations to our 2020 award winners who have made a difference in the lives of LGBT older adults in our community! Visit the event website to make a donation to SAGE Metro Portland.
2020 Lifetime Achievement Award: Vaune Albanese
2020Legacy Award: Carol Brownlow
2020 Agent of Change Award: Suzanne Bonamici
2020 Evelyn Hall Award: Tommy McCullough
Dirty Birdie Golf Tournament
The Annual Dirty Birdie Golf Tournament and Raffle is held during the late summer and is organized by a group of dynamic local business owners. Bunk Bar, Double Mountain Brewery, Free House, Oddball Shoes, Otis Construction and Water Ave. Coffee founded the tournament in 2012, and continue to organize the event each year, complete with fantastic food, drinks and the most fun you’ll have on the golf course all year! If you’d like more information about sponsoring the event or participating, please contact our Development Department at donate@fhpdx.org or (503) 228-4391.
Here are a few of our gift recipients’ responses to Friendly House.
“Thank you for the gift. You are the only people who cared.”
“Thank you for the $25 gift card. What a treat. I bought a pie and three salads!”
“What a nice surprise to receive the gift card and handmade card! Quite honestly, I don’t think I have ever received a gift card.”
“Thank you so much for the gift card. I used it wisely, it is so wonderful not to be forgotten!”