MLK Weekend of Service

Friday, January 12 - Monday January 15, 2007

Multnomah & Washington Counties

Make it a day on, not a day off.

During his lifetime, Dr. King sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together to address important community issues. Working alongside individuals of all ages, races and backgrounds, Dr. King encouraged Americans to come together to strengthen communities, alleviate poverty, and acknowledge dignity and respect for all human beings. Service, he realized, was the great equalizer.

On the weekend of January 15, 2007, as we celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, Hands On Greater Portland will provide a variety of meaningful service activities in which community-members can participate.

Multnomah County Projects:

22nd Annual "Keep Alive The Dream"

The event brings together guest speakers, community leaders, musical guests and entertainers for a community celebration of Dr. King's message. More . . .

Big for a Day with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Be a "big" to a "little" for a day! Volunteers will pair with a little brother or sister at Park Rose High School and do crafts from recycled materials. The "littles" are children who are on a waiting list for a big brother or sister. More . . .

Bikes for Kids

Come help the Community Cycling Center tear down and clean (or recycle) donated bikes and bike parts! (No mechanical experience is required.) More . . .

Books for Oregon Prisoners

Help answer letters and wrap packages of books and educational materials for Oregon inmates. More . . .

Care for A Day Care

Y's Choice Day Care, a member of the YMCA, serves children from 6 weeks through 6 years of age. The turn-of-the-century building that houses Y's Choice SE needs a new coat of interior paint. More . . .

Create Masterpieces at Lynch Wood Elementary

CampFire children are joining with the Lynch Wood SUN School program to beautify Lynch Wood Elementary. Love kids? Love art? This one's for you!  More . . .

Crime & Punishment

Besides Hollywood's representation of prison and what is presented by the media, have you spent any time considering whether prison serves justice -- to criminals, to victims of crime, or to society?  More . . .

Hand In Hand: Bilingual Education in Israel

n honor of MLK weekend, please join Lee Gordon - co-founder of Hand in Hand - for an interactive discussion on how integrating Jewish & Arab children in Israeli schools affects peace and reconciliation throughout the communities in which they live.  More . . .

Help at the Refugee Store

Catholic Charities stocks a 'store' of goods open to newly immigrated families, most of them refugees. This Friday, come help organize the space so that families can find what they need.   More . . .

Homeless for a Day

On any given night, over 2,000 people will sleep outside on Portland's streets. One of the best ways to learn about poverty and social injustice is to meet & talk with homeless people. Immerse yourself in a 3-hour project where we will discuss homelessness in Portland, tour Old Town, go on a small group scavenger hunt, & have lunch at a local soup kitchen with homeless people. More . . .

Knit for Newborns

Join in this project and knit or crochet a blanket or sweater to be donated to the neonates at Emanuel Children's Hospital. Booties and hats are also welcome. A handmade item will make a loving impression on a new mom and baby. More . . .

P:EAR - Spruce Up center for homeless youth

In honor of MLK weekend, help p:ear get ready for 2007 and continue their services for Portland's homeless youth community. Volunteers will be painting, organizing supplies, fixing up...        More . . .

Serve It Up For Seniors

Honor Dr. King's message of service by spending a few hours serving lunch to local seniors. More . . .

Sisters of the Road Cafe

On Jan 15th, volunteers will help with the cleaning of the Sisters of the Road Cafe and after an hour of hard work, all volunteers are invited to St. Mary's Academy for the MLK rally More . . .

Spend an Evening at Goose Hollow Family Shelter

Share a few hours of your MLK weekend with the Goose Hollow Family Shelter. Volunteers will have two jobs, preparing a meal for the families and working as "extra hands" More . . .

Spruce Up: Sexual Minority Resource Center

Help maintain our welcoming and accessible space as we shelve and categorize books for our library, organize our supplies in our storage room and freshen up our kitchen. More . . .

Spruce Up Tryon Creek

Come join us for an active morning at Tryon Creek State Park. On these days, we will assist with invasive species removal in this wonderful urban protected nature area. More . . .

Spruce Up Metropolitan Learning Center (MLC)

In honor of the beginning of spring semester, come and finish painting that was started on Comcast Cares Day at Metropolitan Learning Center (MLC), a public school in NW Portland. More . .

Stock the Pantry: Oregon Food Bank

Join Oregon Food Bank and help them in their mission to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Unpack and sort donated food destined for agencies that directly serve low income people in Oregon. More . . .

Washington County Projects:

Ayuda con Almuerzo en el Centro Cultural Loaves & Fishes

Para celebrar el fin de semana de MLK Jr, vengan para ayudar con los preparativos, para servir el almuerzo, y conversar con la gente. Use your Spanish and join the Centro Cultural Loaves & Fishes in Cornelius as they serve lunch to seniors from the community. More . . .

Books and More Books at Hillsboro Public Library

Volunteers will straighten shelves of books and other materials, shelve books, read shelves to make sure books are in the right order and shelve videos and other materials. More . . .

Build Hope with Habitat for Humanity

Willamette West Habitat for Humanity is currently building homes for 19 families in Hillsboro. Come spend time building a home not just a house.  More . . .

Care for Cats on MLK day

Come out and help do a deep cleaning at the Pacific Northwest’s largest non-profit, no-kill cat shelter. Since the shelter’s opening, more than 10,000 cats and kittens More . . .

Clean for Cats at Animal Aid

Come clean the cat areas at this no-kill animal shelter. Volunteers will be moving things around, cleaning cages as well as grooming the kitties. More . . .

Love Letters at Lunchtime

Create personalized greeting cards to be given to sick children (some with terminal illness such as cancer). Use markers, construction paper and other fun craft items to create cards that will brighten a child's day. This is a great family project... More . . .

Sort and Package Infant Supplies

Volunteers will sort and package orders for infant layettes, children's toys, clothes and supplies to be shipped to non-profits who serve families across Oregon. More . . .

Stock the Pantry at Oregon Food Bank - Washington County

Join Oregon Food Bank and help them in their mission to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Unpack and sort donated food destined for agencies that directly serve low income people in Oregon. More . . .

Renovate and Rejuvenate the Edwards Center

We are transforming a large room into fresh office space for our program managers who work with adults with developmental disabilities. Help those who help others as we prime and paint the area! More . . .