Volunteer Season
It’s the time of year when our homes get a little warmer, the food a little (or a lot) denser, and time goes significantly quicker. We fill our days with work, and evenings with gatherings, and often, we blink and suddenly it’s already January 2. Now, don’t get me wrong, this pace of the season is totally something to be excited about. But, there can also be a balance. A balance of enjoying oneself and doing ALL the holiday things, while also taking a step back and giving of oneself to those in their community.
Maybe volunteering is a regular part of your life, but for those who don’t but would like to, we’ve done some research and made some connections to support you!
Earth Day Volunteers 2019 , Photo courtesy of Kat Lucchesi
One great organization is Hands On Greater Portland. Want to start your own volunteer campaign? Their platform can connect you and thousands of other volunteers to get your idea going in your own community. Or maybe you're looking for something already established or based on specific skills you might have. Their volunteer calendar has all the information for various volunteer events. And when you visit their website, you can create a volunteer profile to sign up for these events. https://www.handsonportland.org
SOLVE (pictured above) is another organization that brings people together to take care of Oregon. Through their online platform you can find volunteer opportunities that all have to do with environmental and community development. Similar to Hands on Greater Portland, through their organization you can become a volunteer for already planned events or start one of your own! https://www.solveoregon.org
Another valuable site is VolunteerMatch. Through their platform, you can search by location to see all the available volunteer opportunities in the area. You can refine the search even further to “cause areas” based on what you might be passionate doing! https://www.volunteermatch.org
The Blanchet House (http://blanchet.dgfdev.com/) is a nonprofit social services organization in downtown Portland providing food, shelter, and aid to people in need through their meal, clothing, and residential programs. Volunteers aid in various aspects of kitchen service and can sign up through their easy to navigate registration system found here https://www.cervistech.com/acts/console.php?console_id=0019&console_type=event&ht=1
There are plenty of very specific volunteer opportunities like the Blanchet House in any community. Our hope is that this encourages you to seek them out and reach out to see how you can contribute! Let's not let our time escape us this year, let's enjoy giving back and investing in our communities!