2025 Year to date Charity Recap
- Austin Phelps
- Oct 5
- 3 min read
This year has been one filled with more than just smooth hummus and hot pitas — it has also been a season of giving back.
At Sesame Collective, we believe food has the power to bring people together, and we are proud to have partnered with organizations that make a meaningful impact in our community.
Our restaurants have had the privilege of hosting and supporting a variety of charity so far this year... Each gathering not only celebrated great food and drink but also raised awareness and funds for causes close to our hearts. Through your support of our charitable partnerships over the past few months we've been able to raise over $8000 for causes near and dear to our hearts.
Read more about those causes and how you can continue supporting them.
🌟 Recovery Month with the Alano Club of Portland
In September, we proudly partnered with the Alano Club of Portland for Restaurants for Recovery in observation of Recovery Month.
Across each of our restaurants, we featured a special non-alcoholic beverage and donated $1 from every pour to support the Alano Club’s mission of providing recovery services and community support. Thanks to our guests who joined us in raising a glass (N/A, of course!), we were able to contribute to an organization making a powerful impact in Portland.
🍔 Love Burger Contributions
At Bless Your Heart Burgers, every Love Burger comes with a little extra love for our community.
We donate 10% of all Love Burger sales directly to our friends over at Neighborhood House, an organization dedicated to helping families and individuals overcome hunger, poverty, and housing insecurity. Each Love Burger enjoyed helps strengthen the safety net for our Portland neighbors.
🥃 Negroni Week Supporting Slow Food
From September 22–28, the bars at Yalla, Mediterranean Exploration Company, and Shalom Y’all joined bars and restaurants around the world in celebrating Negroni Week.
Each location featured a special take on the classic cocktail, and for every one enjoyed, we donated $1 to Slow Food, an organization committed to a more sustainable and equitable food system. It was a week of raising a glass — and raising funds — for a cause that aligns closely with our own values.
🏠 Neighborhood House & SW Hope
This April, we got to take part in SW Hope, an annual community food drive hosted by Neighborhood House. Our restaurants joined the effort by hosting six events throughout the month of April, with a portion of proceeds going directly to the cause.
SW Hope brings together local faith communities, schools, and businesses each spring to raise food and funds for the Neighborhood House Food Pantry, one of the busiest in the area. This is our third year of participating in SW Hope and with demand for food assistance continuing to grow, this year’s campaign was more important than ever.
🌿 Grow Portland & Earth Month
In honor of Earth Month, we partnered with Batanga Tequila, Clear Creek Distillery, and Dhōs N/A Spirits to support Grow Portland, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting schools and communities through hands-on garden education.
To support their work, we featured two special beverages throughout April and donated $2 from every drink sold directly to Grow Portland. Your support helps Grow Portland continue to cultivate green spaces, deepen food knowledge, and strengthen community connections—all through the power of the garden.
