Who We Are

Portland Mutual Aid Network started in the summer of 2020 in direct response to the needs of the unhoused community in downtown Portland, Oregon. 

We are an all-volunteer mutual aid group distributing food, survival supplies, and personal care products weekly. The people we serve define what we do and what we offer. We are always looking to Engage — Listen — Respond.

You can support our work today by donating dollars, supplies, or your time.

Donate
Red carts filled with supplies such as water bottles, crackers, and toilet paper.

WHY WE DO IT

We do what we do because it’s needed and we can.

Portland has more than 6,200 unhoused residents and only 2,000 shelter beds. In 2022 more than 315 experiencing homelessness died in Multnomah County. In 2023 Portland banned daytime camping. We do what we can to serve this population because the city and county allow politics and property values to come before universal human rights.

With your support, we can do even more.

WHY MUTUAL AID?

Mutual aid is community response. It is not charity. It is rooted in listening and response to individual needs in the hopes of not just satisfying those needs but bringing about more widespread transformation. The idea is simple really: A community, made up of individuals, comes together to help people who need essentials by sharing what they have.  

Through engaging, listening, and responding to the needs of people, and by working with other groups doing similar things, mutual aid is a path toward a transformed existence. 

A light-skinned person reaches into a red cart. They have on a black ballcap, a red mask, glasses, a black t-shirt, and jeans.
Six people walk along a street together in casual clothing such as t-shirts and shorts or jeans. One pulls a red cart behind them.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED 

Getting involved is easy. Write us on Instagram @portlandmutualaid, on X/Twitter @PDXMutualAidNet, or via email, and we can tell you more. 

Some people come out each week and help distribute supplies downtown. Others make and distribute food, medical kits, toiletry kits, and other supplies. Others use their vehicle to collect supplies for distribution. 

As a non-hierarchical group, we include you in our planning and strategy. Your ideas matter. Please get in touch anytime and share what you might have to offer.