Update January 7th, 2021:
We are still limited as to what we can do in our centers but have scheduled some drop-off dates for clothing donations. Please read the details on our Donate page.
Update November 25th:
Dear NCO Donors,
Thank you for your continued support of NCO and the children we serve. This past Fall we have continued to fulfill orders, and last week we served over 1,500 kids, providing shoes, coats, clothes, and diapers for the littles. We don’t know what the New Year will bring, and we continue to trust the God has gone ahead and will provide. To that end, we would like to ask for your help in the coming weeks.
If you are able, please donate financially to NCO. Click here to DONATE NOW! All money received from now through December 31st, 2020 will be used to purchase items immediately. To date, we have raised approximately $3,000. To give some perspective, that dollar amount allows NCO to purchase shoes for one Center, for one order cycle.
We are also asking for physical donations, but need your help in order to make this work for our limited volunteer staff. Each Center will be open one day for two hours to receive donations from the community. Like everything related to COVID-19, we have donation rules:
- Donations need to be NEW or LIKE NEW (No stains, tears, missing buttons or zippers, shoes must be clean) – Think “First Day of School’ish”
- Donations need to be washed
- Donations need to be sorted, bagged, and labeled by Gender, Item, and Size (EX: Girls, Winter Pants, Size 7)
- You will need to unload your donations upon arrival – the NCO Staff will direct you to the donation drop off bins
- Items that will be accepted: Coats, Hats, Gloves, Shoes, Winter Shirts, Pants, CLEAN Socks and Underwear, Sweaters and Sweatshirts, Pajamas, and Diapers and Wipes
There are many restrictions being implemented and please understand that our Centers operate in 5 Counties, in 5 different types of facilities, across 2 State lines. The protocols to keep our doors open are strict and limit the number of volunteers allowed in. Several of our 460 Care Providing Agencies have shared that NCO is their ONLY source for children’s items. We are asking for your help in protecting our staff while continuing our mission of “Standing in the Gap for Kids in Need”.
The dates for donations are listed below and each Center will be open from 10 AM until Noon on the date open:
- Beaverton – 12/11/20
- Portland – 12/10/20
- Tualatin – 12/10/20
- Vancouver 12/10/20
Previous Update: Nov. 13th
Dear NCO Donors and Volunteers,
We’ve missed you! The past few months have required our staff to act nimbly and swiftly as COVID protocols continue to change. NCO continues to serve over 150 children per week, per Center from our 7 Centers. Right now, we need your help. To continue serving, and provide complete clothing bags, we are asking you to donate to our “Winter Give”. All money given from now until December 31, 2020, will be used to immediately purchase items to fill these bags. Please click here to DONATE NOW!
Some of our families have not received bags in a year because of the COVID restrictions. Thank you for partnering with NCO to serve the most vulnerable children in our communities!
– The NCO Board and Staff
Previous update July 16: All centers are closed to donors and volunteers until further notice.
Dear NCO Donors and Volunteers,
I hope this note finds you well during this quarantine season.
Many of you have reached out to ask how NCO’s staff are doing, and when we might reopen. As you know, NCO operates as an ALL-Volunteer non-profit, with over 65% of our “staff” falling into the COVID-19 high-risk categories. That coupled with the multi-state and local restrictions (EX: NCO is blessed by building donors that provide space in OR and WA, and within church buildings and schools), that limit group sizes and types of buildings that may operate, our board is carefully considering the timing and requirements to reopening safely.
We are prayerfully and deliberately considering how to protect our staff, donors, volunteers, Case Managers, and the children served. There are a number of plans being formalized, and we ask for your continued prayer and patience as we plan and re-work NCO’s operations to accommodate COVID-19 precautions.
As a start to this process, we polled our Care Providers to ask about their greatest needs. What we heard is that their clients are most in need of diapers and wipes. So, NCO would like to ask, if you are able, please consider purchasing wipes, diapers (sizes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6) and pull-ups of all sizes and hold on to these for a special DIAPERS/WIPES ONLY (No other donations) drop off day at two of the NCO Centers. This will allow NCO to “quarantine” these products and potentially distribute to the Care Providers earlier than an official re-opening.
Again, we are grateful for your prayer and continued interest in serving vulnerable children in our communities. Thank you! Please watch for updated dates and opportunities to serve.
Wishing you all Peace and Good Health,
Candace Leslie
Executive Director