Help Us Keep Northeast Portland Families Warm This Winter
Join the Williams & Russell CDC and Taking Ownership PDX for Warm the Block — a community-centered coat, hygiene and food drive that supports hundreds of families across North and Northeast Portland.
This isn’t just a donation drive — it’s an act of care and community repair. Together, we provide warm coats, hygiene products, and food gift cards to families who need them most during the colder months. Every contribution helps us continue this essential work and ensures no neighbor is left behind.
How You Can Give
1. Donate Online
Your financial contribution helps us purchase new coats, hygiene kits, and grocery gift cards for local families.
Your generosity makes a direct impact. Here’s how you can help:
2. Drop Off Donations
Bring new or gently used coats, hygiene products (deodorant, feminine care, pampers), or grocery gift cards to the Williams and Russell CDC office (5019 NE 21st Ave) between December 9 - 12 or at Matt Dishman Community Center.
3. Volunteer or Table
Want to represent your organization, small business, or nonprofit at the event? Sign up to host a table and share resources with our community:
Tabling Interest Form →
About the Hosts
Williams & Russell CDC
Williams & Russell Community Development Corporation (W&R CDC) is a Black-led nonprofit organization advancing reparative development in North and Northeast Portland. Founded to restore land, opportunity, and ownership to the Black community displaced from the historic Albina neighborhood, W&R CDC leads initiatives that create affordable housing, small business growth, and cultural restoration.
Taking Ownership PDX
Taking Ownership PDX is a community collective that renovates and revitalizes Black-owned homes and businesses to combat gentrification and wealth displacement. Through volunteer labor and community donations, they support Black homeowners with essential repairs, landscaping, and neighborhood restoration — ensuring families can remain rooted in their communities.
Why “Warm the Block” Matters
Warm the Block began as a small neighborhood effort and has grown into a citywide movement that connects people through generosity and action. By donating or volunteering, you’re helping us:
Distribute coats, hygiene kits, and food gift cards
Support families facing rising costs and housing insecurity
Create a space for warmth, community, and joy during the holidays
Advance the mission of reparative development — where community care leads to community power
Together, we’re not just warming people — we’re rebuilding belonging.
