our neighborhoods
Belonging, close to home.
Three Portland metro area sites, each made possible by a community partner who opened their doors to us.
our model
A third space in every neighborhood
Where kids and families find belonging
Home is the first place. School and work are the second. Third places are the community spaces in between, where people gather by choice, feel welcome and become regulars. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg, who coined the term, called them the heart of a community's social life.1
That's the model behind every We Belong site. Instead of asking families to travel across town, we bring a consistent, welcoming third space right into the neighborhood, hosted by churches and community partners who open their doors to us. Kids see the same friends and trusted adults week after week, and parents find connection of their own.
1 Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place, 1989. 2 Fujiwara et al., Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2020 (A-CHILD study, Tokyo). 3 Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, 2023.
Centennial
It all began in the Centennial neighborhood. We started by connecting with kids in a parking lot, until Freedom Foursquare Church stepped in and handed us the keys to their 16,000-square-foot facility. In March 2022, Parklane Christian Reformed Church (PCRC) invited us to launch a second site next to Parklane Elementary.
After eighteen months of split-site programming, we consolidated at PCRC in mid-2024. We now run our out-of-school program there and host our annual Family Celebration on-site.
With gratitude to PCRC and Parklane Elementary.
Rockwood
Our presence in Rockwood began in April 2023 through a partnership with the team at AS IS Church and The Hope Center. After extensive renovations, they invited us to launch a site in their community-focused space. The building has since become The Underground PDX, a CrossFit gym and community center, and the same dedicated team remains our foundational partner.
The program serves many families living in the surrounding apartments. Partnering closely with Rockwood Preparatory Academy for student referrals, we've built a consistent, safe and active place where Rockwood families can thrive.
With gratitude to The Underground PDX and Rockwood Preparatory Academy.
Montavilla
Our newest chapter began in Montavilla in February 2025. After the Rose City Nazarene congregation dissolved in 2020, Portland Central Nazarene took stewardship of the building with a vision to turn it into a community nonprofit hub. Their pastor discovered our work on Instagram and reached out. Eighteen months later, we launched our third site.
Right next door to Vestal Elementary, this site serves a vibrant group of students who walk from the classroom straight to our program. In October 2025, Montavilla also became our team's home base, with an office we've given the "We Belong" touch: warm and home-like for our staff and the community we serve.
With gratitude to Portland Central Nazarene and Vestal Elementary.
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