Help for single mothers in Portland

If you are a single mother living in Portland and need help paying bills and meeting basic expenses, there are lots of options for getting the help you need.

Cash Assistance for single moms

The State of Oregon has a cash assistance program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). You can apply for this aid through The Department of Human Services (DHS) Self-Sufficiency office in your area.

Food assistance for single mothers

The Oregon Food Bank, headquartered in Portland, has the best list by far of all the different places you can go to get food and meals with its Food Finder, which returns 58 different options in and around Portland to meet your food needs.

Help with Shelter & Housing

If you are a single mother needing emergency shelter, the HomelessShelterDirectory provides a list of homeless shelters and services for the needy in Portland. Various housing assistance programs designed for lower income Oregonians operate through local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and immediate help with housing can be obtained through 211 Info. You can find Low Cost Rental Housing assistance, Housing Resources for Farm-workers, Federally funded subsidized housing local offices or search a database for Subsidized Housing in Oregon. If you are in a housing crisis, the Home Forward Short-Term Help Paying Rent program can help single mothers pay rent or mortgage until they get back on feet.

Energy and Utilities assistance for single parents

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides financial help to low-income households and single moms in meeting the costs of home heating and cooling. The Portland Water Bureaus financial assistance programs can help with various water-related costs. Multnomah County’s Energy Assistance Community Service Partners page lists a number of groups who help out with energy bills. The Portland General Electric Bill Payment Assistance page lists a few options, and Self Enhancement, Inc.’s Energy Assistance Program will help people get enrolled into as many programs as possible.

Telephone Bills assistance for single mothers

The Oregon Telephone Assistance Program participates in the Lifeline telephone discount program.

Childcare assistance for single moms

Oregon’s Department of Human Services offers child care assistance through its Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program. Portland Community College has a list of child care providers where students attending PCC can get subsidized care for the their children.

Help with Medical and Dental Care

Places to get free or reduced dental and medical care can be found on the following lists:

Portland, Oregon Free Dental Care Clinics

Oregon Dental Association Low cost dental care

VA Portland health care system

FreeClinics.com Portland OR (lists 15 clinics)

NeedMyMeds Portland (lists 40 options)

Help with Legal Matters

Low-income folks who need help with legal issues can turn to Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO), which has a regional office in Portland.

Help with Financial Counseling

Credit counseling in Portland, Oregon by ClearPoint is just one of many national companies that do credit counseling in Portland.

Help for single mothers from Other Groups

Some life-changing groups in Portland provide services related to different crises single mothers  may be facing in their lives:

Free support groups in Portland

Portland Anxiety and Depression Group

Suicide Prevention, awareness and Support

Have a question? Email us here anything that troubles you.

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If you want to give away free stuff to other single moms, let us know , and we will advertise here. You can find a link named " email us " at the top right of this website. Free stuff should be worth at least 500 usd.