Animal Aid is grateful to once again be a part of the Willamette Week Give!Guide, Portland’s easiest path to year-end giving that has brought 174 nonprofits together under one online giving platform. This year’s Give!Guide theme is “PDX Gives Back,” and we’ve seen firsthand how true that statement really is: Despite the challenges this year has presented, the Portland community has continued to keep rescue animals and nonprofits of all kinds in mind and heart. If there is a silver lining to 2020, you are it.
Our fundraising goal for this year’s Give!Guide is $15,000. What this funding helps provide for the animals looks a little different each year, depending on the needs of our rescues and the community—but whether it helps pay for critical for and routine medical care; resources for programs, operations, or daily animal care needs; or the utility costs that keep our shelter a comfortable home-awaiting-home for our animals, it always does something good.
If you can participate in this year’s Give!Guide, we thank you, and here’s how, starting on November 1:
Make a donation on our Give!Guide page. The campaign runs from November 1 through December 31. In addition to the Give!Guide-hosted “Big Give Days,” where all donations include the chance to win a wide array of prizes, Animal Aid is proud to partner with three local businesses to provide the following incentives:
- The first 25 donors of $25 or more will receive a $10 gift card to Xōcotl, the juice, smoothie, and fresh foods cafe located at the Portland Mercado.
- All donors 35 and under will be added to a raffle for a $100 gift card to Dirty Lettuce, serving 100% vegan Cajun/Creole/Southern cuisine at the Shady Pines Vegan Food Cart Pod.
- Donors of $100 or more are added to a raffle for a $200 gift card to Food Fight! Grocery, Portland’s all-vegan grocery store.
Don’t forget to tell your friends about the Give!Guide as well and the impact they can have in helping nonprofits across Portland. For instance, for as little as $10 (the minimum donation required by Give!Guide), you can provide an Animal Aid cat or dog with monthly flea treatment or a lifelong microchip ID.
Community spotlight on our Give!Guide partners
At Animal Aid, we have an animal-friendly food policy and are so grateful for the vibrant vegan and vegetarian community in Portland, which we recognize is unique across the landscape of the United States. This year has been tough on everyone, small businesses included, and so it’s with extra love and appreciation that we’re sharing about our three Give!Guide business partners:
Food Fight! Grocery: Store owners Emiko and Chad have been providing the PDX community with quality vegan snacks, bulk foods, and so much more since 2003, with Food Fight being the city’s only all-vegan grocery/convenience store, located on NE Halsey Street. As if that weren’t rad enough, they are also huge supporters of the nonprofit community and have helped raise awareness and funds for countless organizations doing great work in Portland and beyond. We actually had the opportunity to chat with Emiko in one of our previous newsletters, which you can check out here for a more in-depth look at Food Fight’s history and the principles that guide it. During the pandemic, Food Fight is hosting all shopping experiences either online or by-appointment only: Learn more about how to place your order and support this staple of the Portland vegan community today: https://foodfightgrocery.com/. As part of Animal Aid’s Give!Guide campaign, all donors of $100 or more will be added to a raffle for a $200 gift card to Food Fight.
Xōcotl: If you haven’t visited Xōcotl yet, we definitely recommend it as one of your next stops. Located in the Portland Mercado on SE Foster Road, Xōcotl offers beverages and foods that are all “fresco and natural,” with “Xōcotl” being the Náhuatl word for “fruit.” Owners Vanessa and Omar opened Xōcotl in 2018 with the “hope to bring the symbolism of our pre-Hispanic roots to PDX.” Their menu is bursting with color and taste, from juices and smoothies, to breakfast bowls and snacks, to a classic Latin menu. At this time, Xōcotl is open for takeout, which you can order by phone (call or text) or in-person (following all social distancing protocols, of course): https://xocotlpdx.com/. As part of Animal Aid’s Give!Guide campaign, the first 25 donors of $25 or more will receive a $10 gift card to Xōcotl.
Dirty Lettuce: If your taste buds are in need of a revolution, get ready for some vegan Southern cuisine that will rock. your. world. Located in the Shady Pines Vegan Food Court on NE 42nd Avenue and operated by mom-and-son team Kim and Alkebulan (who hail from Mississippi), Dirty Lettuce features Cajun, Creole, and Southern favorites like fried catfish, gumbo, boudin—not to mention their if-not-yet-soon-to-be-world-famous fried chicken, ribs, “seefood” feasts, and so, so much more (okay, yup, hungry now). Place your order online or in-person Thursday-Sunday, and keep an eye on their Instagram for a rotating menu of mouthwatering options. As part of Animal Aid’s Give!Guide campaign, all donors 35 and under will be added to a raffle for a $100 gift card to Dirty Lettuce.
All three of these businesses help enrich our city and make Portland a better place to live. And now more than ever, these family-owned stores need our help, which is why we hope you’ll order something delicious from them soon!