Hands On Greater Portland

Monday through Saturday, Blanchet House serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the hungry, helped by the men who live in Blanchet’s transitional housing and volunteers like you! Come out and help with serving, busing, and the food assembly line for the 700-800 meals we serve each day. Volunteers will arrive half an hour before the meal begins to get oriented to Blanchet House and divvy up tasks. Meal service lasts approximately one hour, after which volunteers are welcome to stay and eat with the rest of the meal crew and the 29 men who live and work at Blanchet House. Anyone with hair below the shoulders must have it back in a hair tie. No open toed shoes, and no shirts with exposed armpits. Short sleeved shirts are fine. *This project is closed to all volunteers seeking to fulfill court-ordered community service hours. Click here for opportunities that are appropriate for court-ordered service. Blanchet House of Hospitality, founded in 1952, offers to the poor: free meals, beds, jobs, and HOPE. In recent years it has been joined by two more properties to become a multi-unit complex of charitable endeavors, including the Blanchet Farm in Carlton, OR, which serves as a working farm and recovery site for men. For all 56 years of its existence, the Blanchet programs have been managed by the men who originally came for a meal and a place to stay. They live in the House and perform all of the daily tasks involved in its operation, thus contributing to their own self-esteem and developing a community spirit. Since its inception, the House has served over seventeen million hot meals, provided over one million night's lodging, distributed over 800,000 items of clothing, and filled over 120,000 temporary jobs. Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older to attend this project; any volunteer under age 13 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form If you plan to bring children or guests you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team, then sign up your team for this project. In the spirit of creating an atmosphere where people from all parts of our community are coming together to volunteer, **IMPORTANT NOTE: All volunteers will need to register for the Hands On meal service team through the Blanchet House's online volunteer registration system before the project. The Volunteer Leader will send out specific information to all registered volunteers a couple days before the project. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

9/14/18 4:30 PM +more

Join us at the Tualatin Public Library where you can make a difference to library users by sprucing up the library! This event is a good time to explore the library in a new way. Tasks will include preparing, cleaning and shelving books, checking shelf order, and beautifying the library. We'll have projects for all ages -- give the library a little TLC and see what hidden treasures you find! No prior library training is required. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 6 years of age or older to attend this project; any volunteer under age 13 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355. Keywords: _kids_

8/17/18 6:00 PM +more

Gardening makes beautiful memories. Help prepare the Portland Memory Garden for another season of meaningful outdoor experience for individuals and caregivers coping with memory loss disorders, and make your own memories too! This is a great family friendly project. Garden tasks include weeding, grooming, sweeping, general cleanup. Most tools provided but please bring garden gloves, if you absolutly do not have access to garden gloves please email Patty- friendspmg@comcast.net. Rain or shine, please dress for the weather. Light refreshments served. Portland Memory Garden, a non-profit organization started in 2001, is dedicated to sharing the beauty of nature with those coping with memory disorders as well as with their care-givers. It is a free, secure, community resource for respite, recreation, and inspiration, maintained predominately with assistance from about 30 volunteers. The Portland Memory Garden is one of only 2 public gardens in the U.S. designed specifically for people with memory-affecting diseases and for their loved ones. Located in Ed Benedict Park, this little jewel provides four seasons of safe, accessible, and botanically rich experience. Project Requirements: Volunteers of any age can attend this project; any volunteer under age 15 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

8/18/18 9:30 AM +more

Are you looking for ways to get you and the little ones to volunteer together for a good cause? Look no further, spend a morning at the Children's Book Bank introducing your kids to volunteering! All families with children ages 4 and up are invited to come and lend a hand at The Children’s Book Bank at this 100% family-friendly volunteer session. Come and spruce-up gently-used community donated children’s books, which will later be distributed to low-income preschool children in the Portland area! At this fun family-friendly session, we will give special attention to the kids to spread the love of volunteering and make cleaning books fun! It's more about quality than quanity and we want everyone to have an enjoyable time while doing something good for other kids! Specific tasks include wiping covers, taping torn pages, erasing scribbles, covering inscriptions and reinforcing worn spines. Parents help their kids these tasks. At the end of the session, every kid can select a fun prize from our treasure box to take home. Show your kids that helping others can be fun and rewarding at the same time! The book gap: For children in poverty, one of the biggest obstacles to literacy development (which begins at birth) is the scarcity of books in the home. While the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books to 1 child, the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is a mere 1 book to 300 children. The Children’s Book Bank narrows the book gap by providing the community with a place for families donate the books their children have outgrown, moving thousands and thousands of children’s books into the homes of kids in need. *TEAMS NOTE: if you are signing up as a Team, you are limited to reserving 6 slots. If you have more than 6 in your group please email info@childrensbookbank.org FAQs: Can I bring books to donate? Yes, of course! You are welcome to bring either new or gently-used books with you to this volunteer event. Children’s Book Bank serves children under the age of six, so donations of “read aloud” books are greatly appreciated. Books in Spanish are a particular need. And if you're interested in learning more about hosting a book drive for the Children's Book Bank, we'd love to hear from you! Email info@childrensbookbank.org for more information. Where do the books go? Children’s Book Bank partners with local agencies to identify families and children in need of books. Last year every Head Start preschooler in Multnomah County received a bag of 15 books of their own to have at home. _kids Keywords: breaking_the_cycle; _kids_ _ Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 4 years of age or older to attend this project and need to be accompanied by a parent or adult chaperone. ALL volunteers must attend as part of a family group. The best way to meet this requirement is to create a Volunteer Team, then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring TWO waivers signed by their parent or legal guardian - one for Hands On and one for the Children's Book Bank. Please download, complete, and bring these waivers with you on the day of the project: Hands On Youth Volunteer Release Form Children's Book Bank Youth Release Form If you plan to bring children or guests you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team, then sign up your team for this project. IMPORTANT NOTE: You are responsible for ensuring that everyone signed up through your team attends - only sign up team members who have confirmed their availability. Teams that repeatedly sign up, but do not show up or show up with fewer volunteers than they signed up, may be removed. To add or remove team members from a project, click on "My Account" and then "My Teams," above. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

9/8/18 9:30 AM +more

If you would like to work outside, get a little sun, and help needy families by growing organic vegetables, then we would love to have you come out and volunteer with us. Join our group of fun, family-friendly garden volunteers -- no experience required! We are volunteering in Beaverton's Giving Gardens. All the food grown will be donated to Tualatin Valley Gleaners and St. Matthews Food Pantry. Our Saturday shifts will be in the Kennedy Community Gardens, located on the corner of 103rd and Kennedy Streets behind Target. The 3 hour shifts will start at 10:30am and end at 1:30pm. If you need to leave earlier, please feel free to do so. You will be able to get credit for the hours that you did volunteer. We will be laying down paths, raking, planting vegetables and flowers, weeding and harvesting. Please bring some gloves and drinking water. The field does not have bathroom facilities, although Kennedy Park has a bathroom and drinking water. There are also some nearby retail stores where we can use the facilities as needed. This is a family-friendly volunteer opportunity, so please feel free to bring the kids along for some great family fun! If you have any questions about this project or the Tualatin Valley Gleaners, please contact Lisa McIntosh at 503-810-5472. For more information visit our website http://www.tualatinvalleygleaners.org/. Project Requirements: Volunteers of all ages can participate in this opportunity; any volunteer under age 13 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a Youth Volunteer Release Form signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project. If you plan to bring children or guests you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team, then sign up your team for this project. IMPORTANT NOTE: You are responsible for ensuring that everyone signed up through your team attends - only sign up team members who have confirmed their availability. Teams that repeatedly sign up, but do not show up or show up with fewer volunteers than they signed up, may be removed. To add or remove team members from a project, click on "My Account" and then "My Teams," above. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

8/18/18 10:00 AM +more

Potluck in the Park has been serving a free hot meal to anyone in need since 1991. Every Sunday, rain or shine, 52 weeks a year, we provide a hot meal in downtown Portland at the North Park Blocks on NW 8th & Glisan (effective Sunday 5/20/18). 400-800 Portlanders do not go hungry on Sunday because of Potluck in the Park. We are a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization and we accomplish our mission of providing nutritious food and an atmosphere of community to anyone in need, because of volunteers like you! Potluck in the Park Details: STARTING SUNDAY 5/20/18, Potluck in the Park will be held at North Park Blocks at NW 8th & Glisan. Meal times and shift times remain the same. We may not have protection from the sun/rain, so dress accordingly for the weather. Volunteers should check in no earlier than 1:45pm and no later than 2:15pm. The actual meal service begins promptly at 3:00pm. We even provide limited cat and dog food for companion animals! Meal Service Activities Include: Helping to unload food and supplies Setting up and organizing in preparation for the meal service Serving hot or cold food to guests as they come through the line during meal service Volunteer Requirements: All volunteers must sign up below to reserve a spot. Volunteer groups must also sign up below by first creating a Volunteer Team (read more here). You can then sign up your team for this project. Teams of more than 12 people MUST email Mary Hunger (mhunger444@gmail.com) to request permission to bring a large group. It is only with the EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Volunteer Coordinator that teams over 12 members will be accepted. *You will receive an email from Hands On Greater Portland if you have successfully signed up your team. You can also check or update your team sign ups through your volunteer account. Need help creating or signing up a team or are you unsure if your team has the correct number of slots reserved? Email cristy@handsonportland.org or call 503-226-9285. NOTE: In order to better communicate with volunteers, Potluck in the Park regularly sends out mailers and newsletters. To facilitate this, Potluck in the Park would like to use the contact information you supply when signing up to participate at Potluck In The Park. Potluck in the Park does not release this information to any other third party. If you do NOT wish to share your contact info with Potluck in the Park, please let the registration staff know on the day and you will be excluded from our e-newsletter and other mailings. Project Requirements: We ask that volunteers are 12 years of age or older to attend this project. We do make exceptions on a case by case basis where a volunteer is younger than 12 years old, but we reserve the right to restrict them to areas appropriate to age and stature. Any volunteer under age 16 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian, or - if attending with an adult - have them fill one out at the event. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form. Remember to give this to the person running check-in! Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call Hands On at 503-226-9285.

8/26/18 2:00 PM +more

Potluck in the Park has been serving a free hot meal to anyone in need since 1991. Every Sunday, rain or shine, 52 weeks a year, we provide a hot meal in downtown Portland at the North Park Blocks on NW 8th & Glisan (effective Sunday 5/20/18). 400-800 Portlanders do not go hungry on Sunday because of Potluck in the Park. We are a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization and we accomplish our mission of providing nutritious food and an atmosphere of community to anyone in need, because of volunteers like you! Potluck in the Park Details: STARTING SUNDAY 5/20/18, Potluck in the Park will be held at North Park Blocks at NW 8th & Glisan. Meal times and shift times remain the same. We may not have protection from the sun/rain, so dress accordingly for the weather. Volunteers should check in no earlier than 1:45pm and no later than 2:15pm. The actual meal service begins promptly at 3:00pm. We even provide limited cat and dog food for companion animals! Dessert Service Activities Include: Helping to unload food and supplies Setting up and organizing in preparation for the dessert service Portioning desserts as needed Serving desserts to guests as they come through the line during meal service Volunteer Requirements: All volunteers must sign up below to reserve a spot. Volunteer groups must also sign up below by first creating a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. Teams of more than 12 people MUST email Mary Hunger (mhunger444@gmail.com) to request permission to bring a large group. It is only with the EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Volunteer Coordinator that teams over 12 members will be accepted. *You will receive an email from Hands On Greater Portland if you have successfully signed up your team. You can also check or update your team sign ups through your volunteer account. Need help creating or signing up a team or are you unsure if your team has the correct number of slots reserved? Email cristy@handsonportland.org or call 503-226-9285. NOTE: In order to better communicate with volunteers, Potluck in the Park regularly sends out mailers and newsletters. To facilitate this, Potluck in the Park would like to use the contact information you supply when signing up to participate at Potluck In The Park. Potluck in the Park does not release this information to any other third party. If you do NOT wish to share your contact info with Potluck in the Park, please let the registration staff know on the day and you will be excluded from our e-newsletter and other mailings. Project Requirements: We ask that volunteers are 12 years of age or older to attend this project. We do make exceptions on a case by case basis where a volunteer is younger than 12 years old, but we reserve the right to restrict them to areas appropriate to age and stature. Any volunteer under age 16 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian, or - if attending with an adult - have them fill one out at the event. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form. Remember to give this to the person running check-in! Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call Hands On at 503-226-9285.

9/2/18 2:00 PM +more

Potluck in the Park has been serving a free hot meal to anyone in need since 1991. Every Sunday, rain or shine, 52 weeks a year, we provide a hot meal in downtown Portland at the North Park Blocks on NW 8th & Glisan (effective Sunday 5/20/18). 400-800 Portlanders do not go hungry on Sunday because of Potluck in the Park. We are a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization and we accomplish our mission of providing nutritious food and an atmosphere of community to anyone in need, because of volunteers like you! Potluck in the Park Details: STARTING SUNDAY 5/20/18, Potluck in the Park will be held at North Park Blocks at NW 8th & Glisan. Meal times and shift times remain the same. We may not have protection from the sun/rain, so dress accordingly for the weather. Volunteers should check in no earlier than 3:00pm and no later than 3:15pm. Recycling and Clean Up Crew Activities Include: Monitoring disposal of trash and food into proper receptacles Collecting, cleaning and organizing of trash, recycle and compost bins Washing dishes and sweeping after service Helping to load supplies into Potluck truck at end of meal service Volunteer Requirements: All volunteers must sign up below to reserve a spot. Volunteer groups must also sign up below by first creating a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. Teams of more than 12 people MUST email Mary Hunger (mhunger444@gmail.com) to request permission to bring a large group. It is only with the EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Volunteer Coordinator that teams over 12 members will be accepted. *You will receive an email from Hands On Greater Portland if you have successfully signed up your team. You can also check or update your team sign ups through your volunteer account. Need help creating or signing up a team or are you unsure if your team has the correct number of slots reserved? Email cristy@handsonportland.org or call 503-226-9285. NOTE: In order to better communicate with volunteers, Potluck in the Park regularly sends out mailers and newsletters. To facilitate this, Potluck in the Park would like to use the contact information you supply when signing up to participate at Potluck In The Park. Potluck in the Park does not release this information to any other third party. If you do NOT wish to share your contact info with Potluck in the Park, please let the registration staff know on the day and you will be excluded from our e-newsletter and other mailings. Project Requirements: We ask that volunteers are 16 years of age or older to attend this project. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian, or - if attending with an adult - have them fill one out at the event. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form. Remember to give this to the person running check-in! Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call Hands On at 503-226-9285.

8/19/18 3:00 PM +more

Join us in the kitchen as we prepare and serve up Sunday dinner for the residents of the Good Neighbor Center - a homeless shelter in Tigard for families. Volunteers will use the on-site food pantry to prepare a meal that will serve all of the residents and the volunteer group. You're welcome to bring extra items/ingredients to add to the meal if you'd like. No volunteer is required to bring any food items, but if you would like to make a food donation the Good Neighbor Center strongly recommends dairy products, such as milk, cheese, or eggs. The shelter has 9 bedrooms to serve up to 9 families, with a total capacity of 36. Each family has a private room where they can keep their belongings and sleep. The Good Neighbor Center is dedicated to providing safe emergency housing and supportive services to empower individuals and families to be self-sufficient. Keywords: breaking_the_cycle Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 14 years of age or older to attend this project; any volunteer under age 18 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

8/19/18 4:00 PM +more

Have you been itching to get outside and play some games this summer? Come join in on the fun with an energetic group of refugee children from East Africa, Burma and Nepal for an evening of pick-up soccer! The kids are learning how to speak, read and write English, but it’s not easy. Many of them are great soccer players, and even the smaller ones are eager to play. 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance is a local nonprofit that works to bridge the gap between first and fourth world children by bringing them together on the soccer field. What is the “fourth world?” When third world people are living in a first world country, there are numerous barriers keeping them from integrating and interacting with the culture around them. Language, literacy, poverty, and other cultural elements can alienate a newcomer, denying them the chance to improve their lives with the advantages provided in the new world around them. This creates a unique living situation where the first and third worlds meet but don’t merge, this makes the fourth world. To learn more, check out our website: www.4worldsunited.org Summer Soccer at Powell Park will be every Monday until the middle of August. No special soccer skills are needed, just energy, a positive attitude, and comfortable clothing that you can run in. Sign up below and bring your enthusiasm and energy to this fun-filled summer activity! If you would like to participate each Monday, please sign up for each week. Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to attend this project. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

8/20/18 5:30 PM +more

Serve a meal and play Bingo with the ladies at Jean's Place! Volunteers will be asked to bring ingredients to contribute to the meal and the group will prepare dinner on-site to serve to the ladies living at Jean's Place. The volunteer leader will contact each volunteer to instruct you on what ingredients to bring. Everyone will then help facilitate a game of bingo, which will include prizes for the winners! Join us for this unique experience! We're counting on you! It is imperative that if you sign up for this project, you intend to be there and provide the ingredients that are assigned to you. When volunteers don't show up, we're not able to make the meal. If you are unable to attend, please let your Volunteer Leader know ASAP! Please note: no volunteer will be turned away due to lack of resources. If bringing a food item is a hardship for you, please alert the project leader. Volunteers are asked to refrain from wearing strong fragrances, such as perfume and cologne, during their volunteer shift. A part of Transition Projects, Jean's Place is a transitional housing program for adult, single homeless women. Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older to attend this project. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

8/20/18 6:00 PM +more

Have you been itching to get outside and play some games this summer? Come join in on the fun with an energetic group of children for an evening of pick-up soccer! Many of them are great soccer players, and even the smaller ones are eager to play. The New Columbia community is home to nearly 1,200 kids from 22 countries speaking more than 11 different languages, so be prepared to make some new friends. This fun event, sponsored by 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance, is looking for volunteers to play and be good role-models for about 30 kids in the New Columbia neighborhood. 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance is a local nonprofit that works to bridge the gap between first and fourth world children by bringing them together on the soccer field. What is the “fourth world?” When third world people are living in a first world country, there are numerous barriers keeping them from integrating and interacting with the culture around them. Language, literacy, poverty, and other cultural elements can alienate a newcomer, denying them the chance to improve their lives with the advantages provided in the new world around them. This creates a unique living situation where the first and third worlds meet but don’t merge, this makes the fourth world. To learn more, check out our website: www.4worldsunited.org Summer Soccer at McCoy Park will be every Monday and Wednesday until the middle of August. No special soccer skills are needed, just energy and a positive attitude and comfortable clothing that you can run in. If you would like to participate, please sign up for each session. Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to attend this project. If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team. You can then sign up your team for this project. All volunteers under 18 are required to bring a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. Please download, complete, and bring this waiver with you on the day of the project: Youth Volunteer Release Form Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

8/20/18 6:00 PM +more