Hands On Greater Portland

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 in various locations. 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 11/3/19, Potluck in the Park will be held at Waterfront Park, under the Hawthorne Bridge. Meal times and shift times remain the same. We may not have protection from the sun/rain, so dress accordingly for the weather. STARTING SUNDAY 5/3/20, Potluck in the Park will be returning to the North Park Blocks. The location is around the sculpture at NW 8th and Glisan, in front of the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). 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. This project is no longer accepting groups of more than 10. Teams of more than 10 people MUST email Bethany (bethany@potluckinthepark.org) to request permission to bring a large group. It is only with the EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Volunteer Coordinator that teams over 10 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 info@handsonportland.org or call 503-200-3355. 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 503-200-3355.

2/23/20 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 in various locations. 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 11/3/19, Potluck in the Park will be held at Waterfront Park, under the Hawthorne Bridge. Meal times and shift times remain the same. We may not have protection from the sun/rain, so dress accordingly for the weather. STARTING SUNDAY 5/3/20, Potluck in the Park will be returning to the North Park Blocks. The location is around the sculpture at NW 8th and Glisan, in front of the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). 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 (read more here). You can then sign up your team for this project. This project is no longer accepting groups of more than 10. Teams of more than 10 people MUST email Bethany (bethany@potluckinthepark.org) to request permission to bring a large group. It is only with the EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Volunteer Coordinator that teams over 10 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 info@handsonportland.org or call 503-200-3355. 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 503-200-3355.

2/23/20 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 in various locations. 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 11/3/19, Potluck in the Park will be held at Waterfront Park, under the Hawthorne Bridge. Meal times and shift times remain the same. We may not have protection from the sun/rain, so dress accordingly for the weather. STARTING SUNDAY 5/3/20, Potluck in the Park will be returning to the North Park Blocks. The location is around the sculpture at NW 8th and Glisan, in front of the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). 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 (read more here). You can then sign up your team for this project. This project is no longer accepting groups of more than 10. Teams of more than 10 people MUST email Bethany (bethany@potluckinthepark.org) to request permission to bring a large group. It is only with the EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION of the Volunteer Coordinator that teams over 10 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 info@handsonportland.org or call 503-200-3355. 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 503-200-3355.

3/15/20 3:00 PM + more

Join the Oregon Food Bank in our mission to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Inspect, sort and repack all things refrigerated! You'll see fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, meat, sandwiches and other nutritious foods that are highly valued by partner agencies and clients. Because we are working with perishable food in OFB's Fresh Alliance program, volunteers work in a room kept at 50 degrees. Please remember to wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes, and clothing you wouldn't mind getting just a little dirty. Must be comfortable bending and standing on concrete in a temperature-controlled (50 degree) room. The length of Fresh Alliance shifts is directly related to the amount of food we receive from the grocery stores that day. The end time is the latest the shift will go but we may end earlier! Please note that this is a very small shift and OFB is counting on you to show up if you sign up! Court-Ordered Volunteers: You will need to contact Oregon Food Bank directly to determine whether you are eligible to volunteer. Please contact Jenifer Naas at volunteer@oregonfoodbank.org or 503.972.2993 What one volunteer says about volunteering in the Fresh Alliance program: "Fresh Alliance gets the healthiest foods out to people who need it so they don't just have to rely on canned or dry goods. I can't think of a better use of my time." - Tom Keywords: free_the_future Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to attend 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 Oregon Food Bank. Please download, complete, and bring these waivers with you on the day of the project: Hands On Youth Volunteer Waiver Oregon Food Bank Youth Release Form If you plan to bring your children or other guests to the event, you MUST reserve slots for them. Please create a Volunteer Team, then sign up your team for this project. PLEASE NOTE: If you are signing up as a Team, you are limited to reserving 8 slots. If you have more than 8 in your group, please sign up through the Oregon Food Bank's Group Sign Up page. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

2/24/20 1:30 PM + more

Come support your community by helping learn about its strengths, needs, and priorities! We are seeking volunteers to partner with our Community Researchers to conduct in-person interviews with families in the Albina/Rockwood neighborhood. You will assist Community Researchers with locating pre-identified households, keep track of who has been interviewed, and distribute stipends to interviewees. We'll provide a brief training before pairing you off with a Community Researcher and sent into the neighborhood to conduct interviews! Dates: February 15, 22, 29, March 1, 7, 14, 15, : Rockwood neighborhood February 24, March 2, 9, 15 : Albina neighborhood LOCATION AND WHAT TO BRING Knock and talks will occur in the Rockwood neighborhood for November 2019. Exact location details will be sent to you by the volunteer coordinator prior to the project. *Please bring comfortable walking shoes and clothing appropriate for being outdoors in the PNW fall. Access to restrooms once we start the knock and talks will be limited! Contact Amanda Shannahan with any questions at: amandas@unitedway-pdx.org MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM The Albina Rockwood Promise Neighborhood Initiative (ARPNI) serves children and families in the Albina and Rockwood neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon. A partnership of seven non-profits and nine schools, ARPNI coordinates a cradle to career continuum of supports focused on increasing student performance and family resilience. In Fall 2019, ARPNI will conduct in-person interviews with a sample of households in the ARPNI footprint. These interviews will focus on family engagement with schools, community safety for people of color, financial stability, and health. The information collected will be used to shape ARPNI programming and monitor the initiative’s progress towards key outcomes. Keywords: free_the_future Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older to attend this project. If you plan to bring 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 503-200-3364 or email info@handsonportland.org.

2/24/20 5:00 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.

4/27/20 6:00 PM + more

The Union Gospel Mission provides meals and addiction recovery services in a safe environment for its homeless clients. Volunteers will help serve and clean up after the evening meal to the homeless. This is a great way to get involved! This is a popular project so please limit your sign up to two times per month in order to give more people a chance to volunteer. Also note: volunteers are required to wear closed-toe shoes and to tie back hair that is shoulder length or longer. Support Union Gospel Mission's vision of feeding the hungry, restoring the addict and loving our neighbor by joining us on a volunteer shift! Project Requirements: If you plan to bring your teens 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. Volunteers must be 14 years of age or older to attend 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.

2/25/20 7:00 PM + more

Are you a fashionista? Do you love helping women? If so, you may enjoy working in one of the largest closets at Dress for Success Oregon! We have a need for Clothing Organizers to assist with processing our many donations of clothing, shoes and accessories. The mission of Dress for Success Oregon is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. At our monthly Fashion Sorting Party, the goal is to process as many clothing donations as possible, in preparation to be given to clients. Come lend a hand by helping us: Sort clothing donations to appropriate channels Inspect clothing for quality Steam and iron clothing Size clothing and shoes Volunteers will be instructed on the clothing sorting guidelines and procedures upon arrival. Volunteers should be comfortable lifting or moving boxes, bags, or garments. Please come well-groomed and wear conservative attire that is comfortable enough to be physically active in (Tasks may include bending and lifting). Closed-toed shoes are required. Bring your positive attitude, your flexibility, your organization-skills, and a desire to help! Recommended for volunteers who have a love for organization and can tolerate a small space with many donations, but limited resources. Keywords: free_the_future Project Requirements: Volunteers must be age 18 and up to attend this project. If you plan to bring 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. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

2/26/20 10:30 AM + more

Kateri Park is an affordable housing community, located just south of Powell on 28th Avenue. In more than half of our apartments, the residents are refugees. The largest group is from Somalia, but we also have some Burmese, Afghani, and Nepali refugee families. Wake up your inner artist and join us for an afternoon of fun! On Wednesday evenings, we put together and arts activity night for about 20 of our kids. They work on individual and collective art projects like drawing, cut outs, collages, or whatever we might have in our supply closet - the arts activities are volunteer led and may not be structured. Since this isn't a formal art class, we need flexible, and go-with-the-flow volunteers to come and add your creativity and assistance to the class. You will have a great time exploring art with kids from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burma and Nepal, and you'll really make a difference. Remember that although we're bringing the kids together for the art project, it's really an opportunity to make a positive connection with the kids, regardless of the activity! We want them to feel engaged, valued, and welcomed in this community. Please know that you will be working with a high energy group of kids coming from a wide variety of backgrounds. Patience, flexibility, and fun are important ingredients to bring with you when you volunteer! Previous experience working with kids is helpful. In addition to the Wednesday art classes, Kateri Park offers literacy/ESL classes, homework help, pick up soccer games in summer, one-on-one tutoring for the students, and more. Keywords: free_the_future 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​ *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. Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.

3/25/20 4:30 PM + more

Join Northwest Children's Outreach (NCO) in an effort to help Vancouver-area families provide for their children. NCO accepts donated toys, clothing, books, baby gear, hygiene items and more. Volunteers like you process these donated items to be distributed to families in need. Depending on the shift, we may be sorting recently donated items or fulfilling orders and packaging items for families. NCO works with agencies that directly serve low-income families and foster children in Oregon and Washington. The items donated, sorted and packaged by you and other volunteers make a big difference for local families - and it's a lot of fun! Location details! (Sometimes Google Maps will take you to the wrong place): The NCO Vancouver Center is located at 6615 E Mill Plain in Vancouver, located in the Heights Shopping Center, at the corner of Andresen and E Mill Plain, near Safeway, nestled in the south west corner. Note: this project takes place in a warehouse setting; please wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Water will be provided. Donations - NCO accepts and appreciates donations, however large or small, from volunteers. You're welcome and encouraged to gather any gently-used baby or children's items (clothing, toys, gear, books) that may be in your home or neighborhood to donate. Thank you! To learn more about Northwest Children's Outreach, visit: www.northwestchildrensoutreach.org. *Note that NCO is a faith-based nonprofit and there may be a short prayer at the beginning of the project. Volunteers of all faiths are welcome and each volunteer may choose whether or not they wish to participate in the prayer. *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. Keywords: free_the_future, _kids_ Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 4 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 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.

2/28/20 10:00 AM + more

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.

4/24/20 4:30 PM + more

Do you think nature is only found outside the city? Think again! Lend a hand in the Portland Parks Natural Area closest to Downtown Portland and enjoy your Saturday morning working outside and meeting others in our community! About this Opportunity Join Friends of Marquam Nature Park, West Willamette Restoration Partnership, and Portland Parks & Recreation for a morning of urban forest renewal. It's fun, close-in, accessible, and very important work. Many hikers, runners, and walkers utilize this park and its trail, and it's part of the 40-mile loop around Portland that connects to Forest Park. Your time and effort will help keep this a high-quality natural area for people, native plants, and wildlife! What to Bring and Wear Dress for the weather, wear long pants, wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and bring a water bottle. Tools, gloves and snacks will be provided. Questions? Exact location details will be sent to you by the volunteer coordinator prior to the project. Contact Mary Verrilli with any questions using the email button below or by calling 503-823-9423. Project Requirements: Volunteers must be 6 years of age or older to attend this project; any volunteer under age 10 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

2/29/20 9:00 AM + more