Communities Creating Change: Tips from Your Neighbors About Success

You're invited to attend the second workshop in the Community Leadership Series developed by the seven Neighborhood coalition offices and the Office of Neighborhood Involvement.

This workshop will include volunteer presentations from local community projects - with lessons learned along the way; small group discussions allowing participants to share stories, tips and resources; and networking to share with other participants on an individual level.

Join us to share with and learn from volunteers citywide creating change in their neighborhoods.

Are you researching resources? Looking to clear obstacles from your path? Wondering how to invite others to join you? Or just want tips on getting started? Share your story with other local community members and learn from your peers.

When: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 6:00 to 8:30 PM at
Where: Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital's Wistar Morris Room, 1015 NW 22nd.

An RSVP is required due to space limitations. Please RSVP at www.nwnw.org/resources/trainings.

Don't let these networking opportunities pass you by!

Volunteer presenters will include:
. PHLUSH, www.phlush.org
. Cornell Road Sustainability Coalition, www.nwnw.org/projects/crsc
. Baltimore Woods, www.friendsofbaltimorewoods.org
. Art on the Peninsula, www.artonthepeninsula.org
. Friends of Parklane Park

This post courtesy of information provided by:
Angela Southwick
Community Resources Program Manager
Neighbors West-Northwest
angela@nwnw.org

503-823-4211
2257 NW Raleigh St.
Portland, OR 97210

Find neighborhood events and meetings online at www.nwnw.org/calendar

We Need Volunteers - sign up now!

Our 2010 Fall Auction & Dinner on October 23 is now less than a month away!

We need friendly and computer savvy volunteers to work a shift between 3:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m the day of the event. As a volunteer, you will welcome and check-in guests as they arrive. At the end of the event, you'll perform auction and donation payment transactions and thank guests for their generosity as they depart.

• Our Office Manager, Codi, will train you for this important volunteer function on Tuesday, October 19 from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

• To volunteer, or get more information, please call Codi at 503-221-1224, ext. 103 or email him at codi@nwpm.org.

• Skills needed: computer savvy, fluent English speaking, organized, service oriented.

The event on October 23 will be held at the Multnomah Athletic Club‎ (the MAC).

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES as of 3/5/10

Deliver Lunch to Irving Street Loaves & Fishes on Wednesdays
Pick up coolers from the main Loaves & Fishes Kitchen and deliver to the Irving Street Senior Lunch Program at 10:45 a.m., in time for lunch. Needed: A good sized vehicle that can fit several coolers, ability to lift full coolers, or willingness to ask other volunteers to help with that. (Recommended: A tarp or towel to keep your vehicle clean).
Contact Schedule: Pam Porter at pamela.porter503@gmail.com or call 503.327.1253.

Volunteer at the Food Pantry on Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Feed the Hungry! Greet clients and sign them in, assist with filling food requests, stock shelves, maintain neat shelves and racks, light clean-up duties. Address: 1808 NW Irving, First Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Shop the Dock at the Oregon Food Bank Tuesday Mornings
Shopping the dock involves going to the Oregon Food Bank (7900 N.E. 33rd Drive) and seeing what types of fruits, veggies, dairy, bread etc. are available. The items need to be brought to the NWPM Food Pantry at 1808 NW Irving.

Volunteer Driver: Take an elder to the doctor
Use one of the NWPM vehicles or drive your own car to get folks to medical appointments and other key locations.
When: Flexible, based on availability & need
Requirements: Age 23 or older, Ride Connection Application turned in to NWPM, Background check, three training components to be completed within six months.

Deliver Emergency Food Boxes
If you have a vehicle and 30 minutes, you could deliver a food box to a specific hungry person, or get a box of surplus food delivered to our Community Share program to residents at low-income buildings in downtown & NW. Help feed people and keep food from going to waste! Vehicle, Bike trailer or little red wagon needed.
When: Flexible, ideal times are on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, with options sometimes available on Mondays and Thursdays too.

Lend a Helping Hand (individualized support)
Our volunteers are called on to answer requests from our neighbors in Northwest Portland who need assistance with moving, shopping, cleaning, or friendly visits. If you are looking for a meaningful way to make a difference in someone's life, Helping Hands is a great way to get involved. Note: Williams Plaza resident with a learning disability needs at tutor for his PCC English Class.

Create Your Own Volunteer Opportunity!
NWPM staff is available in a limited capacity to support “out of the box” volunteer work. If you see a need or have an idea, we’d like to hear from you to discuss what might be possible.

Volunteer Opportunity of the Week:

Are you a good packer?!We are looking for 1-2 friendly helpers to give support to an elderly gentleman who is moving on December 15th and is in need of volunteers to help prepare his stuff. This can be scheduled for any day on or before Dec. 14th. If you have a few hours to spare in the coming week to help fill some boxes and assist in organization, please let us know ASAP!

For more information or to volunteer, contact Kelly@nwpm.org or call 503 221-1224.

Math Tutors Needed for PIVOT

PIVOT student volunteers were a huge asset to NWPM in 2009. They assisted with large mailings that helped us raise funds, and they worked on various projects in our office. At our 4th Annual Fall Auction, eight young women volunteered at the check-in desk.

Now, we'd like to see if we can help them with some great tutors!

PIVOT is a program in NW Portland for young women ages 16-24 that are working to get their GED and/or High School Diploma. PIVOT students are required to take the TABE - the Test for Adult Basic Education. The curriculum covers whole number operations, decimals, fractions, percents, integers, basic algebra, basic geometry, data interpretation, probability, and basic statistics. Assignments are individually based on how a student performed on their most recent TABE. Other reference materials are used beyond TABE, especially GED materials.

PIVOT students most commonly need assistance with: long division, adding/subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, percents, and data interpretation, algebra, and word problems. They also need encouragement to learn the multiplication tables and not using calculators.

Background checks are required for all volunteers in accordance with state laws along with other necessary paperwork. Please contact Cindy Sorum if you are interested in tutoring with the PIVOT program at 503-274-7343 x 212. Thanks you!

Volunteer Opportunities

Loaves & Fishes Delivery Driver needed for Mondays at 10:45 a.m.
We need someone to pick-up coolers from the downtown Elm Court Loaves & Fishes Kitchen at 1023 SW Main and bring them to the Irving Street Loaves & Fishes. If you have a good sized vehicle that can fit several coolers and have the ability to lift full coolers or willingness to ask other volunteers for assistance you could help feed 40 seniors every Monday! Aside from food pick up you could also stay and help with lunch if you want to.

Wrap presents at the Holiday Village in NW Portland on Sat. 12/12.
Holiday Village is organized by the Nob Hill Business Association. This event will include music, refreshments, gift wrapping, Santa & much more. It is from 11am -5pm the first four Saturdays in December. Location: 635 NW 23rd (between Hoyt & Irving).

NWPM has been invited to have volunteers staff the gift wrapping station on Dec. 12th. A different non-profit is invited to participate each Saturday.

This is a fundraiser and community event for Northwest Portland Ministries and we need 3-4 people each shift to wrap gifts and have fun. All materials provided.

The time has been divided into two shifts and we are in need of 3 folks between 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are good at wrapping and available please arrive 15 minutes before your shift. Call Kelly at 503-221-1224 ext. 105 or e-mail kelly@nwpm.org to sign-up.

Got a pick-up truck? Help Low income people get some furniture!
Many times someone gets into housing but has absolutely nothing, no bed, no chairs etc. Case managers we work with can help folks get items from places like the Community Warehouse, but often there is no way to transport these items to the recipient. This project can be scheduled at your convenience, please let us know if you have a van or truck and could be available for this type of service. Call Kelly at 503-221-1224 ext. 105 or e-mail kelly@nwpm.org to sign-up.

Friendly Helpers Needed for Local Residents
NWPM receives ongoing requests for Friendly Helpers to assist with various tasks. Help is needed with light cleaning, laundry, organizing, as well as social visits and simply providing companionship to an isolated neighbor in our community. To get involved call 503-221-1224 ext. 105 or e-mail kelly@nwpm.org

If you have a couple of hours to volunteer to make a difference, please contact:

Kelly Caldwell,
Northwest Portland Ministries
Volunteer Manager
Kelly@nwpm.org
2701 NW Vaughn, Suite 102
Pdx OR 97210
Main Phone: 503-221-1224
Fax: 503-505-5028

NWPM Volunteer Opportunities & current news are available at any time on our blog: http://nwpmcommunity.blogspot.com/

Volunteer Drivers Wanted!

Northwest Portland Ministries gets over 1000 requests for rides each month!

We are very much in need of volunteer drivers to get folks to medical appointments and other key locations. Drivers can use one of the NWPM vehicles or drive their own car. (If you use your own vehicle you are eligible for a reimbursement or tax write-off of 50 cents per mile.)

There is a special approval process to ensure liability issues are properly addressed:
1) Complete a Ride Connection Driver Application & return it to NWPM
2) Once approved, (you must have 5 years of good driving history, be at least 23, and pass a background check) make an appointment for a brief orientation, and then you are ready to go.

For a complete details and to express interest, please contact David@nwpm.org or 503-221-1224.

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Be a Volunteer Driver: A day or few hours a week. Learn more here.
Be a Friendly Receptionist for NWPM Transportation:
Loaves & Fishes Senior Lunch Program on Weekdays:
Emergency Food Box Volunteers: Feed the Hungry!
Make a Community Share Delivery!
Transit Adventure Volunteers Wanted!:
Looking for a Volunteer Human Resources Consultant:
Friendly Visitor/Helping Hand:
New Project:

Be a Friendly Receptionist for NWPM Transportation: Help answer the phone and take ride requests at the NWPM office when seniors are calling in to request rides. Mornings are especially busy times.

Loaves & Fishes Senior Lunch Program on Weekdays: Come help set-up and serve lunch and then we clean up the space (so it can be used for other purposes in the afternoons). Help on Wednesdays is especially needed..

Emergency Food Box Volunteers: Feed the Hungry! Choose a shift on: Tuesdays or Fridays from 10:45 am-1:00 pm,2nd Weds. 9:00-11:30 am for fresh produce distribution.
Various tasks & activities are also available at other times.Please inquire!

Make a Community Share Delivery! Keep food from being wasted & get it to folks who need it. Drop off surplus perishable food at a low-income building in the area. The ideal times are on Tuesday & Friday afternoons, with options sometimes available on Mon. & Thurs. too.

Transit Adventure Volunteers Wanted!: Work with NWPM & Ridewise to help organize affordable and fun senior fieldtrips via public transportation. (Training from Ridewise required). The most recent example of this is a trip to the zoo on Sept. 16th. See previous posting).

Looking for a Volunteer Human Resources Consultant: Skilled & creative writer & editor needed to help create job descriptions and update other volunteer management tools & documents.

Friendly Visitor/Helping Hand: One-on-one matches with seniors in need. Examples include light housekeeping, packing help, file/paperwork help, or just a social visit.

New Project: Interior Decorators and Apartment Organizers are invited to help low income neighbors make the most of their space. This can be done in a number of ways from making a display to offering one-on-one support.

Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org <=== click here!
(503) 221-1224 ext.105
Use your back button to return to the Community Connections blog.

Thursday Workparty May 21st: Volunteers Needed

What: Come help us organize at the food warehouse
When: Thursday, May 21, 2009, 10:30am - 1:00pm
Where: NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton, a green colored building with a green awning on NW Overton between NW 21st and NW 22nd.
To learn more about the warehouse work parties and why they're so important to our Emergency Food Pantry, Food for Kids Backpacks and Community Share programs, click here and here.
If you’d like to help at the warehouse but can’t make it to this event, please contact us and we'll find an alternate time or activity that fits your schedule.

Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org
(503) 221-1224 ext.105

Warehouse Work Party on Monday at Noon!

We just got a big delivery of food donations to sort & organize &
also have a variety of upcoming projects to prepare for, so we
are organizing a last minute NWPM Warehouse Workparty for those
who are interested & available! Let us know if you'd like to help!

When: Monday, April 13th Noon-1:30
Where: NWPM Warehouse, 2145 NW Overton

Thanks!

Weekend Warehouse Workparty in March!

What: Come help us organize at the food warehouse.
When: Saturday afternoon, March 14th, 2009, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Where: NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton, a green colored building with a green awning.
To learn more about the warehouse workparties and why they're so important to our Emergency Food Pantry, Backpacks for Kids and Community Share programs, click here and here.
If you’d like to work at the warehouse but can’t make it to a workparty, let us know and we can find a way to schedule something that you can do. Thanks so much!

Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org <=== click here!
(503) 221-1224 ext.105

Opportunities with the Northwest Portland Ministries Emergency Food Pantry

Northwest Portland Minstries adopted an emergency food bank program last December. We’ve been running it “as-is” this year, as we've learned more about how food banks work and about what our community needs. We are now gearing up to make significant improvements and changes. Read more in our newsletter, then see below for the many related volunteer opportunities available.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kelly@nwpm.org.

Shop the Docks on Monday Morning at the Oregon Food Bank Warehouse: Job Description: Choose one or more Monday morning (between 9:30-AM-12:30 PM) per month. Select fresh produce at OFB (7900 NE 33rd) and deliver to the NWPM Food Pantry (1808 NW Irving) for our regular Tuesday distribution day. Help put away fresh produce & stock shelves.

Staff the Food Box During Open Hours: Tues & Fri. 10:30-1:30 (2 x a month) Job Description: Greet clients and sign them in, Assist with filling food requests, stock shelves, maintain neat shelves and racks. Basic clean-up duties. Address: 1806 NW Irving, First Immanuel Lutheran Church

Warehouse Volunteer: (Flexible Scheduling) Job Description: Help sort & pack up donated food. Help get items from the NWPM Warehouse (2145 NW Overton) to our distribution site (1808 NW Irving). Vehicle required.

Delivery Person: Help get perishables out into the community -quickly-via our Community Share Program. Vehicle, Bike trailer or little red wagon needed. Flexible scheduling.

Make clear & attractive signs! Do you have great art & design skills? We need basic signs made helping recipients know how many of various items are available for them to select, pictures of food, numbers & other such.

Food Box Team Leaders: We are looking for a few very responsible volunteers who can take the lead for volunteer-run shifts during distribution hours or for stocking work parties. Must be willing to open, close & supervise other volunteers. Advanced Training provided.

Friday Morning Trader Joe's Gleaning: Job Description: Use your large vehicle to pick up several bags of donated produce and other perishables at about 9 AM (2 Fridays a month) to be distributed that day. If you don’t have a car, you can still help us sort the donated food!

Bread Pick-up at Franz Bakery (NE 19th & Everett): On Wednesdays at 8:15 AM a volunteer gets bread for use in the Food For Kids BackPack Program, and delivers it to the NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton.

Organize a Food Drive for NWPM Nutrition Program: At your work, school, congregation, or via a party! Assistance available!

Food Pantry Recycling Volunteer: we need help managing the many boxes & other materials. Flexible schedule, vehicle required.

Handy People & Plumber Wanted!: NWPM is looking for a skilled plumber to donate his/her time to put in a sink in our food pantry. We also need people to create shelving, fix things etc. All expenses paid. Talk to Kelly for specifics.

Please note: If addressing hunger is of interest to you please know we’d love your help. If these opportunities are not a fit, we’d like to hear how you’d like to contribute!

Contact Kelly@nwpm.org

If you know anyone or any organizations that might be able to supply volunteers, please click the small white envelope below to forward this post to them!

Volunteers Kick-off Community Share Program...

A huge "Thank You!" to the families from Springwater Environmental Charter School and other volunteers who came to NWPM's warehouse on November 18th!
With the energy and enthusiasm of these volunteers, we were able to sort, pack and distribute several boxes of food to many neighbors in need in our community. This effort represented the kick-off of our Community Share Program & Delivery of Community Share Food Boxes to ten locations. (More information about Community Share will be comming soon.)
Watch this quick video of the work "party!"

Please note! We will be doing another NWPM Food Pantry Workparty with service club volunteers from Lincoln High School!
When: Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13th, 2008.
Where: Two locations - (1) NWPM Warehouse at 2145 NW Overton, and (2) NWPM Food Pantry at 1808 NW Irving (First Immanuel Lutheran Church)
More Volunteers Welcome!
Contact:
Kelly Caldwell
Volunteer Manager, Northwest Portland Ministries
Kelly@nwpm.org
(503) 221-1224 ext.105

Volunteer News & Opportunities

Happy autumn to all our NWPM volunteers & supporters!
This is the time of year when we tend to take stock of all the things we are grateful for. At least, I do. For example, the effort, time & resources you all give that help make miracles happen in our community! That is something I am very grateful for. Thank you so much for all you do!

With the leaves changing colors and the trees turning bare, now is a transformational season as well. Similarly, there are some exciting changes and transformations taking place in our community to talk about!

Please note the following three items below in particular!

• Backpack Fundraiser Monday, 11/17/2008!

• We've Moved into our New Office!

• The NWPM Food Pantry Program needs you!

All my appreciation & best wishes!
Kelly Caldwell,
NWPM Volunteer Manager
Kelly@nwpm.org
P.S. As always, you can call or email me anytime to plug into volunteering!

NWPM Emergency Food Program: More Space, New Process

From the Fall 2008 Newsletter: As you probably know, Northwest Portland Minstries adopted an emergency food bank program last December. We’ve been running it “as-is” this year, as we learned more about how food banks work and about what our community needs. We are now gearing up to make significant improvements and changes.

In November 2008, the NWPM Food Bank distribution center moves to a bigger space in First Immanuel Lutheran Church’s campus at 1808 NW Irving Street.

This new location gives us the opportunity to change to a “choice-based model,” which means that recipients will choose what they need instead of being given a pre-packaged food box.

Research has shown that when food bank programs use a choice model for food distribution, the system runs at a much lower cost, meets hunger needs better and more efficiently, respects recipients’ individuality, preserves their dignity, and gives them more food choices.

As part of this evolution, there will be a staffing change. Kelly Caldwell, the NWPM Volunteer Program Manager, and Preston Holt, longtime volunteer, board member, and chair of the NWPM Nutrition Program Steering Committee, will share the job of coordinating the program.

This change will bring an increased need for volunteer help, both during the transition and on a weekly basis. In the short term we will need people with carpentry and organizing skills to help get our new space set up and running.

We need three volunteers per shift to staff the food bank during open hours. For the time being, the distribution center will continue to be open every Tuesday and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and on the fourth Monday of the month from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

We also need volunteers to stock the shelves and to work at our warehouse on Mondays and Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.—or at another time arranged with the coordinators.

We also need help organizing food drives at local congregations and businesses.

If you are interested in contributing or
volunteering, contact Kelly or Preston by
phone at 503-221-1224 or by e-mail:
Kelly@nwpm.org or Preston@nwpm.org.