In this spirit of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s Oregonian op-ed, Harnessing the holiday spirit to help our homeless, Coates Kokes held a donation drive to benefit Clackamas Service Center. Founded in 1971 by three women who pooled their bingo winnings to make a difference in their community, CSC is dedicated to providing basic life assistance, transitional support and resources to individuals, families and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In addition to the donations that CK staff brought in from their own homes, we went on an excursion – via the Portland streetcar – to Goodwill for a supersized shopping adventure.

With the list of CSC’s most needed items in hand, our CK crew scoured the racks and filled their bags with coats, sweaters, jeans, gloves, long johns, socks, boots and all sorts of camping gear.

We left Goodwill with the holiday spirit in our hearts. But more importantly, we left with cold weather supplies that will make an immediate difference for dozens of our fellow Portlanders. And isn’t that what the season of giving is all about?