Impact Kit Drive with Rick’s Custom Fencing and Decking!

We are excited to announce our 2023 Impact Kit Drive in partnership with Rick’s Custom Fencing and Decking. Now through June 17, 2023, Rick’s will be taking donations of essential items at any of their locations to prepare for their annual kit Assembly Day on June 25th.

For the last four years, Rick’s has rallied a team of volunteers to assemble nearly 100 Impact kits a year! These kits were filled with personal essential items such as household goods, basic pantry staples, and even feminine hygiene items. The materials were all donated by Rick’s customers and employees who gave enough items to fill two entire vehicles. Read more about Rick’s involvement in the community and their ongoing support of Impact NW.

Event Recap from 2022

Thirteen volunteers from Rick’s, along with spouses, and children, worked together on a rainy Sunday to organize and assemble the kits and prepare them to be delivered to families in need.

“Many of our vulnerable neighbors face housing insecurity and struggle to afford (their) basic needs … they forego essential household items in order to pay for rent and other family costs,” said Ada Dortch, development director for Impact NW. “With Rick’s Custom Fencing & Decking item drive and their compassion for our community, we can make sure that people have the support and items they need to stay safe … .”

Homelessness is a challenging experience. For people living outside, it seems like the world is unaware of them. For everyone else, there is growing and deep concern for people living outdoors.

Multnomah County’s most recent Point-in-Time Count of Homelessness identified more than 2,000 people living unsheltered, nearly 1,500 sleeping in emergency shelters, and approximately 500 in transitional housing. Another 50,000 people in the Portland area are lving on the verge of homelessness. One health crisis; emergency room visit, or a lost job can land a family in a shelter, a tent, or on the street.

In collaboration with local businessess and community leaders, Impact Kits is an opportunity to educate the public about the the traumas of homelessness and to make an impact on the lives of some of our most vulnerable community members. Each kit contains basic hygiene items, food, water, and a resource guide. Volunteers assemble and distribute these kits; creating a human connection that can lead to real change for everyone.

Read more about the 2019 Impact Kits event and the impact more than 100 volunteers made!

This project is designed with the tech community in mind—it’s flexible, easy to participate in and optimizes community good as well as employee experience!

Impact Kits Process

As a supporter of Impact Kits for Veteran’s Day, you not only will help provide 300+ kits, full of hygiene and other essentials, but also support Impact NW’s year-round efforts to keep families from losing their homes.

For any questions or inquiries about involvement, email us at volunteer@impactnw.org