Project Lemonade and Hassalo Team-up for Foster Youth
Here at Hassalo, we like to integrate into our community outside of our city block radius, and introduce residents to the many gems of hardworking organizations located in our neighborhood. Many businesses and non-profits tucked in our community fold are forging efforts to make Lloyd the next big thing in Portland. Lloyd Eco-District commands infrastructure and community events around Lloyd, ensuring the coveted Eco-District title continues it’s reign. There’s a brand new concert venue currently under construction across from Hassalo, set to open in 2027, bringing more food, commerce and passersby into our neck of the woods. The Lloyd Center Mall hosts Maker Markets in their transitioned department stores, which garners big crowds, especially around the Holidays. Then, there’s Project Lemonade, making arguably the most impact in our community. Project Lemonade is a Portland Non-Profit that collects clothes, toys, shoes, and more for local Foster Youth. Their operation is currently residing in a few former department stores on Lloyd Center’s second story, with multiple stock rooms for organizing donations, and a regular storefront, set up like any other clothing shop, but tailored to the needs of kids in the system. If there’s anyone that can benefit from a donation-driven store, it’s Foster Kids. That’s why we are proud to collaborate with Project Lemonade, especially in their high season. We decided to use our monthly Hassalo Happy Hour as an opportunity for our residents to get involved and get familiar with Project Lemonade’s incredible strides in supporting Foster kids.
Project Lemonade in a Nutshell
Here’s the amazing part about Project Lemonade’s impact: it’s not just clothes, shoes and a “have a good day”; they also host internships, scholarships, and programs for kids close to aging out of the system. They have become a lifeline for older Foster kids, giving them the tools and experience to go into the world with a leg up. Their slogan is: “On a mission to inspire self-esteem so Foster Youth can beat the odds”. That about sums it up. It’s so much more than donations, it’s about integrating these kids into an environment where they can find agency, work experience, and new networks of friends. Founded in 2012, their services extend across Oregon, not just our city limits, and kids are able to shop the store for free multiple times per year. The store also hosts themed events like Superhero Week, where kids get to meet their favorite characters and enjoy photo-ops, and games. The shopping process is easy as their website states:
After check-in, shoppers will receive a checklist of items they can shop for during their visit. The list will include shoes, pants, tops, outerwear, underwear, socks, accessories, a backpack and more. We have changing rooms onsite.
A very painless process for a very painful time. The proof is in the pudding with the stats below:
28,000 youth served to date
35 counties served annually in Oregon and & SW Washington
$ 3.5 Million saved in clothing costs for families
5 innovative programs
$6.96 Million invested in the foster care community
Hassalo Getting Involved
As a team at Hassalo, we get together with Project Lemonade at least once every season to volunteer and support their largest quarterly drives. This includes stocking shelves, tagging items, and running the counter for no-pay check-out, folding items and bagging like any other shop. It’s always a good time getting involved and seeing the rewards of kid’s excitement when picking out their favorite items. For our residents, it’s becoming tradition to anticipate a Project Lemonade Drive during the Holiday Season, and that’s why hosting an event centered around Project Lemonade’s needs not only spreads awareness, but also gets folks elbows deep in volunteering without ever having to leave home. For December 2025 Happy Hour, we teamed with Project Lemonade to promote their 2025 Holiday Donation Drive by posting QR codes to the donation link with an opportunity to be entered into their raffle. They had some amazing prizes: $100 gift cards to local pubs and restaurants, Portland Trail Blazers tickets, and even two tickets for a cruise on the Portland Spirit. We were able to meet our goal of $500 in donations from the Hassalo Donation Drive. Project Lemonade brought fabric and supplies for residents to gather and make no-sew blankets for Foster youth, and while they snipped and tied fleecy blankets together, our local Steeplejack Brewing came by to offer a Beer Tasting, pouring their popular Winter Porter. The best part? More than a few residents asked for Project Lemonade’s contact info to get involved in future volunteer work. Connecting our residents to stellar organizations like Project Lemonade is a priceless bonus to a festive, collaborative event.
Thanks to Project Lemonade, Foster kids in Oregon are not dependent on the broken system alone, and have a dedicated resource not only for clothing, but for life-skill education, networking, and programs to boost their chances of succeeding in jobs, or put them on the right path to further their education. These youth are usually tossed out after 18 without a life preserver, expected to understand the nuance of work expectations, and the process to obtain student loans, while housing themselves independently. That’s a pretty unfair disadvantage, but we love seeing Project Lemonade fill those gaps and insist on better for our most vulnerable population. We are so grateful to work with them, and watch their efforts pay off with every Drive, every item donated, and every kid that gets to come in and find their needs without the fret of cost. We are also grateful to our amazing residents, who showed up this year in donations, blanket-making, and excited to get involved in the future.