New to Hands On? It's easy to get involved!

Get started in your own community. Hands On Greater Portland can help.

We will connect you with a volunteer opportunity that makes a meaningful, rewarding change in the Portland area. Whether you are working, parenting, in school, or retired, Hands On Greater Portland offers you a variety of ways to get involved while meeting your schedule and interests.
 

Volunteering with Hands On is as easy as 1-2-3! 1. Simply register online as a member or give us a call at 503-200-3355. 2. Sign up instantly for a volunteer opportunity that works for you. Check out our constantly growing project calendar or search for a unique, meaningful opportunity that fits your schedule and interests. 3. Just show up for a memorable volunteer experience! What does volunteering with Hands On look like? At Hands On, you can volunteer for a one-time project, or find a longer term opportunities that suits your interests. You can volunteer after work or on the weekends. You can get involved and lend a hand alone, with family, friends or co-workers. When you volunteer with Hands On Greater Portland, you join people from all backgrounds and experiences. You get a chance to explore issues that shape our community and develop your leadership and job skills. Below, you'll find a brief overview of the two primary ways you can connect to volunteer opportunities through Hands On. Check out our VOLUNTEER PAGE to learn about more ways to get involved!

Calendar Projects are “done in a day” projects created by our various partner agencies and supported by a Hands On-trained volunteer leader on the day of the event. No advanced training or on-going commitment is required, and all volunteer opportunities are group-based in nature. This is a great way to start volunteering if you are unsure about where to begin, have a tight schedule, like trying new things, or want to explore an organization before getting involved on an on-going basis. These projects are advertised through our Project Calendar, which allows for easy browsing and quick online registration. You can also use the search box. How do they work? If you see a project you'd like to sign up for, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click "Sign Me Up!" (you'll have to be logged into the site to do so). You'll receive an automatic email including the project address and volunteer leader contact info, and then all you have to do is show up on the day of the project, ready to volunteer!

Referral Opportunities encompass all volunteer opportunities with our partner organizations that don't appear as Hands On-supported Calendar Projects. These opportunities might call for an on-going commitment, require special skills or advanced training, and/or involve events that are less hands-on in nature (e.g. fundraisers). This is a great place to look for opportunities that typically take you a bit deeper and require more commitment than a done-in-a-day Hands On Calendar Project. You can find these opportunities through our referral listing or using keyword, region, and other searches using the search box (make sure you select "on-going opportunity" at the top!). How do they work? When you find a project you're interested in, you'll be able express your interest in the project at the bottom of the screen by clicking "Have Agency Contact Me". You will receive an automatic email confirming your interest. The agency contact will then be in touch, and from that point on, all correspondence will take place between you and the partner agency itself.