Union Gospel Mission maintains holiday tradition, feeding Portlanders on Christmas Day

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Downtown Portland’s Union Gospel Mission has decked its halls for the annual Christmas Day feast for Portlanders in need.

The holiday meal is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25, at 15 N.W. Third Ave.

Union Gospel Mission has been serving Portland since 1927.

The holiday meal for the homeless and others down on their luck includes glazed ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans with onion and garlic, dinner rolls with butter, dessert, coffee, water and a snack sack for later in the day.

The organization began their special Christmas meal celebrations on Saturday, Dec. 21, by providing 600 Christmas food baskets for families in need. Each basket feeds at least five people, meaning the baskets provided 3,000 meals to people in need.

On Sunday, Dec. 22, Union Gospel Mission continued providing special holiday meals via its Search + Rescue mobile outreach. That will continue throughout the week. In all, they will provide more than 3,800 Christmas meals for those in need or experiencing homelessness, concluding with the sit-down meal Christmas Day in downtown Portland.

People who wish to help the mission provide meals can go online to ugmportland.org/donate; call 503-274-4483; or mail a check to Union Gospel Mission, 3 N.W. Third Av., Portland, OR 97209.