Day-to-Day Operations

Fort Kennedy accepts donations of Clothing, Shelf-Stable Foods, Hygiene Products, Small Housewares, First Aid and Medical Supplies, and other essential items, and we send them back out into Portland’s Veteran community. 

If you’re interested in donating items to Fort Kennedy’s Veterans, you can bring them over Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM. Feel free to give us a call before you head over (503-765-2661), and we can have someone waiting to help empty your vehicle.

Things we Always need:

  • New and Lightly Used Men’s Clothing, All Sizes;

  • New and Lightly Used Men’s Shoes & Boots, Especially Sizes 11 & Up;

  • Canned Goods, Especially Chili, Soup, Tuna, or other “One-Can” Meals;

  • Peanut Butter & Jelly;

  • Packs of Bottled Water and other Single-Serve Drinks;

  • Bicycles;

  • Shopping Bags/Totes, Plastic or Fabric;

  • Plastic Storage Bags (all sizes, zipper-closure preferred); and,

  • Household Cleaning Supplies.

THANKSGIVING DINNER DELIVERIES

Every year, Fort Kennedy builds and delivers hundreds of Thanksgiving Meal Boxes to Veterans and their families all over the Portland area.

When you’re doing your Thanksgiving shopping for your family this year, please consider buying extra and donating some of the following items to help us bring Thanksgiving to Low-Income Veterans who would otherwise be unable to celebrate.

If you’re interested in helping us make Thanksgiving Meal Box Deliveries, please email Volunteer@FortKennedy.org for more information.

FORT KENNEDY CHRISTMAS DELIVERIES

Every year, Fort Kennedy makes sure every Veteran in our community gets something for Christmas.

Stockings for veterans in Shelters

We work with local homeless shelters to ensure each Veteran in a shelter gets a Christmas Stocking stuffed with hygiene products like razors, shaving cream, combs, lotion, and lip balms, as well as other personal items and small gifts.

Backpacks for unhoused veterans

We ask each of our unhoused Veterans to fill out their Holiday Wish List with all their preferred sizes and items. Thanks to one of our generous donors, every year we are lucky enough to receive high-end hiking backpacks for this program, which we fill up with the Veteran’s requested items and their very own stocking.

Adopt A Veteran Family

When we learn one of our Veteran clients has children, we put them on our Christmas Family list right away, to ensure their kids and family get taken care of for the holidays. Every child in the Fort Kennedy family gets a pair of pajamas and a pair of slippers, as well as a personalized toy or gift. Each adult in the household gets a pair of slippers, and we do our best to provide something for the family as a whole as well. 

Current Needs

Updated Feb. 2025

  • Men’s Razors;

  • Brushes for Long Hair;

  • Brooms; and,

  • Bookshelves and Small Desks for Workspaces at Fort Kennedy.

Thanksgiving Meal Boxes

Starting in October, we’ll begin collecting donations for our Thanksgiving Meal Boxes. If you’d like to help, we’re looking for the following items:

  • Frozen Turkey or Ham;

  • Canned Vegetables like Corn, Peas, Green Beans, etc.;

  • Powdered Mashed Potatoes and/or Canned Sweet Potatoes;

  • Canned Cranberries;

  • Jarred or Powdered Gravy;

  • Dinner Rolls; and,

  • Dessert Items.