Partnership with Julia West House

The original JWH house was named in memory of Julia West Lindsley, wife of the church’s first installed pastor, the Reverend Aaron Lindsley. Reverend Lindsley served First Presbyterian from 1868 to 1886. Julia was the author of home training curriculums for early Sunday schools, established the first Women’s Missionary Society on the west coast, raised six children, and worked alongside her husband helping the Chinese immigrant community, including women escaping human trafficking. After she was widowed, she was a faithful member of the congregation for many years. After she died in 1905, the building that sat on the corner SW 13 and Alder was named for her. That building housed mission efforts of the church for many decades, including refugee
housing through the Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (a program of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon), the home of Operation Nightwatch in downtown Portland, and a similar program for hospitality to the unhoused during the day.

Later, the Julia West House became the home of GED programs and a men’s clothing center called Best Foot Forward. Eventually, the broad array of services decreased as other agencies evolved, certain public funding disappeared, and the congregation became less able to support the activities while trying to maintain a building that was over 125 years old. By early 2018, Best Foot Forward had become independent and relocated. Although First Presbyterian provided over $30,000 per year in mission support to Julia West House, the cost of operations and repairs had far exceeded that amount. In April 2018, after lengthy discussion and consideration, the First Presbyterian Session determined the best course of action would be to redevelop the property, lease it out, or sell it outright. The Julia West Task Force was created to pursue the repurposing of the property. In the summer of 2018, the Task Force issued a request forproposals to 11 organizations (both non-profit and business corporations) engaged in the development of low-income housing. Community Development Partners (CDP) was selected to act as the developer of the new JWH.

The new JWH apartment complex opened in December 2025, providing 90 units of PSH for houseless elders and BIPOC individuals earning 30% or less of the area median income with robust resident services and amenities tailored to household needs. The new JWH is a testament to innovation in both design and sustainability. The 12-story, 56,000 square foot high-rise, built using cross-laminated timber (CLT), is the tallest mass timber building in Oregon. This cutting-edge approach not only reduces the building’s carbon footprint but also promotes biophilic design principles, which have been shown to support mental health and well-being—particularly for populations who benefit from trauma-informed design. The building is also National Green Building Standard and Energy Star certified, ensuring long-term environmental benefits while reducing operating costs.

Today, FPC partners with JWH to staff and supply their emergency food closet, provide community dinners once month. and support the ongoing services that JWH provides for its residents.

Community Meals

Sharing a meal together and building community is a part of our Christian identity. On the third Monday of the month, volunteers prepare a homemade meal for 100+ people and then we have two teams of volunteers who take the dinner over to our neighbors in two low-income/supportive social service buildings, both a block away from the church. Join us for an opportunity to share stories and build friendships over a warm meal. If you are interested in learning more, contact Pastor Brenna. If you would like to sign up to help cook the meal or serve it, please click here to volunteer.

Emergency Food Closets

In 2020, First Presbyterian Church (FPC), through a generous grant from the Capital Campaign Mission Giving, partnered with Lift UP to adopt the Alder House Building. FPC has a rich history with Alder House, located one block from our church. The adoption allows Lift UP to provide extra services for the residents of that community; such as culinary education classes with a focus on healthy cooking called Supper Club, they also provide an emergency food pantry for the residents. Because of the success of the Alder House/Lift UP collaboration as well as our commitment to the success of the Julia West House, FPC also provides volunteers to support the emergency food pantry at Julia West. To volunteer at either the Adler House or Julia West House Emergency Food Closets, please click here.

Soup for The Shower Project

In the fall of 2025, FPC began supporting an initiative at the First Unitarian Church of Portland called the Shower Project. Twice each week, the Unitarian Church opens part of its facility to unhoused neighbors, offering a place to shower, rest, enjoy a drink and snack, receive clean clothing, and find refuge from the streets. FPC supports this ministry by providing homemade soup each week for participants in the program. Volunteers prepare an 8–10 liter batch of soup, stew, or chili and place it in the FPC kitchen refrigerator or freezer by Wednesday morning for pickup. We are seeking two volunteers each week to help provide soup for the Shower Project. To volunteer to cook for this program, please click here.

Kamwenge Secondary School in Uganda

First Presbyterian Church of Portland is blessed to have been partnering with Kamwenge Secondary and Vocational School for many years. Along with sponsoring a teacher and offering support in emergency situations, every other year, FPC members travel to Uganda, spending time with Kamwenge students, faculty, and people in the surrounding area. You can learn more through this video.

Our Annual fundraising event, Walk the Wildwood, takes place every August, in Forest Park. We hope you will join us for our 2026 event!

For additional information, contact Kathryn Hill at hillka@teleport.com.

Northeast Emergency Food Pantry

Our church partners with the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP) to respond to the urgent food needs of our neighbors.   NEFP is the most active food pantry in Oregon.  In 2023, over 1000 volunteers helped to distribute over 2 million pounds of food.

NEFP distributes a three- to five-day (or more) supply of nutritious groceries to our neighbors in need, frequently valued at over $200. We offer a unique self-service shopping experience for guests, allowing them to select their choice of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, bread, meat, and more. There are no quantity restrictions on most items in the pantry.  We serve:

• Families with children; roughly 40 percent of those we support are children
• The unemployed and the underemployed
• People with special needs, including the elderly and those with disabilities
• A high percentage of immigrants and refugees
• People experiencing crisis

To volunteer at NEFP, please click here.

Friendly House

First Presbyterian founded what became Friendly House in 1926 to reach out in support of our local communities.

Today, Friendly House is a non-profit neighborhood center and social service agency in Portland, Oregon.

Friendly House creates a thriving community by connecting people of all ages and backgrounds through quality educational, recreational, and other life-sustaining services. A third of its board members are also part of the First Presbyterian community.

Click here for more information.

Earth Care

Our church is a member of the PCUSA Earth Care congregations with opportunities to learn and engage with our biblical call to care for God’s good creation. To learn more or join the Earth Care team, please contact Jenny Holmes.

Advocacy & Social Justice

As part of the PC(USA) we care about social, economic, and ecological justice issues at local, state, national, and international levels.

With the Session approval, cooperation within the church, the wider faith community, and other organizations promoting social, economic, and ecological justice and peace, we seek to work for a better world.

Click here to learn more about our work.