Current Volunteer Opportunities
The YWCA of Greater Portland has a number of volunteer opportunities. Volunteers give back to the community by contributing their talent and hundreds of hours each year.
To learn more about these opportunities, or share some new ideas, please contact Brice Lang at 503.294.7404 or teamywca@ywca-pdx.org
Senior Services
With Senior Centers in North Portland and East County, the YWCA is the largest provider of senior services in Multnomah County. Targets clients are low-income seniors living in their homes, but at risk for losing their independence.
Senior Law Project Intake Specialist
Job description: Assist with the intake portion of the Senior Law Project clinic, including explanation of the clinic, completion of required paperwork, and ensuring each participant is assisted by the attorney in a timely manner.
Date, time, location: 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Fridays of every month, 12:15-4:15pm, 600 NE 8th St., Gresham.
Impact Area: East County low-income seniors
Project Attributes: Professional appearance and manner; good customer service and interview skills; attention to detail; ability to determine financial eligibility by following instructions and income tables; ability to adhere to confidentiality and mandatory reporting standards.
Yard Care Provider
Job description: Trim bushes, mow lawns, pull weeds, and remove debris. Our clients are often unable to physically do these tasks anymore, and it gives them pride to have a nicely kept yard. Unkempt yards can often bring complaints from neighbors, mobile home park managers, or the city or county.
Date, time, location: Variable dates and times, to be completed at the homes of seniors
Impact Area: Low-income seniors in both North Portland and East County
Project Attributes: Basic knowledge of yard card; physical ability to do the work and haul away debris. Equipment needed.
Cooling Center Monitor
Job description: Aging & Disability Services is planning to implement cooling centers that would operate during extreme heat conditions that might take place during the summer months. The cooling centers are designated, air-conditioned buildings targeting low-income seniors and people with disabilities whose health would be at risk during extended, high-temperature weather conditions.
Project Attributes: Friendly, helpful, ability to follow whatever protocol is in place for the cooling center.
Impact Area: Low-income seniors and people with disabilities
Date, time, location: Short-term need, during extreme heat conditions, 9am-9pm(?), Multnomah County East Bldg, 600 NE 8th St., Gresham; maybe other senior district centers or Loaves & Fishes meal sites throughout Multnomah County as well.
Learn Links
A volunteer-intensive program that provides after-school tutoring, homework clubs and art therapy activities for children in homeless shelters, and transitional and low-income sites. LearnLinks addresses the variety of instructional and social issues these students experience by providing stable, individualized academic support.
Tutor
Job Description: Learn Links is recruiting volunteer tutors to assist in our supervised academic after-school activities. Volunteer tutors provide students with two to four hours of critical one-on-one attention per week. Volunteers assist with homework, reinforce basic skills such as reading, writing and math. Students also participate in educational group activities aimed at promoting teamwork and social skills, as well as providing opportunities for hands-on learning. Kids start learning when they have a one-on-one relationship with an adult who cares about their education and can connect its relevance to their life goals.
Date, time, and location: Mon-Thurs 3:30-6:00pm (times vary depending on location) SW, N, outer SE Portland
Individual or Group: Individual
Impact Area: Children in K-12th grade residing in homeless, transitional, or low-income housing.
Special skill requirements: We prefer volunteers to have one year of experience and training working with school age children. Must have genuine interest in promoting resiliency, optimism and educational success among disadvantaged children and youth
Prize Supply Drive Coordinator
Job Description: Organize a drive to bring in small prizes-toys, notebooks, stickers, books, and/or other fun rewards for children.
Group Project
Date, time, and location: Immediately, Ongoing
Impact Area: Youth K-12th grade residing in low-income housing, education
Special skill requirements: Great communication skills, organized.
SafeHaven
A 24-hour winter shelter where homeless families can remain together in private quarters. Services include case management, housing assistance, transportation resources, and emergency food and clothing assistance.
Cleaning (Street, Yard, Shuttle Van)
It is very important to keep our neighborhood clean, and provide community support. In addition, this supports the health and safety of clients, enhances the function of shelter, and keeps storm drains clean!
Skills: Ability to use your body with a team of people to make a difference
Time, Location: Flexible, one-time project, or monthly
Data Entry
Project: Data-entry. Our staff is very busy and would love assistance with data entry.
Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office.
Time and date: Flexible
Client Follow-Up Volunteer
Job Description: Contact past clients/families to follow up on their well being, and ascertain what their needs are. It’s important to know that the family is stable and that their needs are being met. By doing this, the family knows they are important, and also enables funding for more client services in the years to come.
Date, Time and Location: Flexible. Position is February through April, North Portland
Skill Requirements: Good customer service, ability to use phone, ability to file, organized, professional conduct, helpful to know Microsoft Office program, or word processing
Group Project: Tree Trimming In Shelter Neighborhood
Job Description: We have a tree in front of the shelter that needs to be trimmed, and debris disposed of. Volunteer will safely trim trees away from building, tree limbs are starting to damage our building and have become a nuisance, please help!
Time & Date: Flexible, one-time project or monthly
Skills: Need own equipment, saws, bags, tree trimming tools, gloves, and willingness to possibly develop sore muscles.
Seamstress and Window Covering Installer
Job Description: We have many rooms without curtains. There is little privacy for the families who live in these rooms. It’s important to keep the shelter looking nice to create a positive atmosphere, and curtains would help keep in heat. We need a volunteer to measure windows, make window coverings for them, and hang them in rooms in SafeHaven Shelter.
Date and time: Flexible
Skills: ability to measure windows, sew and install curtain and curtain rods
Yolanda House
Domestic violence survivors and their families are sheltered in a safe, supportive community while preparing for a better future. Yolanda House provides crisis counseling, a 24/7 crisis hotline, resource information and referrals, court advocacy, comprehensive safety planning, age-appropriate programs, and recovery and support groups.
Clothing Closet Organizer
Job Description: The YWCA’s Domestic Violence Shelter, is in need of a volunteer with great organizational skills. Our clothing closet is rather small and very well used. The tasks required for this project are sorting, sizing, folding and organizing clothing and general cleaning.
Time: Once a week, indefinitely.
Requirements: Background check is mandatory; state-mandated domestic violence training course is recommended.
General Maintenance
Job Description: This volunteer opportunity is for someone that has general maintenance skills in the area of home repair. The perfect person would be available by phone or email and able to assist Yolanda House, the YWCA’s Domestic Violence Shelter, with home maintenance and repair issues as needed.
Required: Background check is mandatory.
Computer Geek
Job Description: The YWCA’s Domestic Violence Shelter is in need of a volunteer to work on our resident computers that is highly skilled. This is an ongoing opportunity for a volunteer to come in and perform maintenance on computers that are used by a number of people.
Required: Background check is mandatory.
Arts and Crafts Group Facilitator
Job Description: The YWCA’s Domestic Violence Shelter has a volunteer opportunity with the Saturday Morning Children’s Group. The group has a lot of flexibility as far as the type of projects you would like to do. We have a variety of supplies that can be used. This person must graduate from a state-mandated domestic violence training course and pass a background check.
Time: Once a month, with a time commitment of 6 months at minimum.
Newsletter Creator
Job Description: We would like to have a volunteer create and maintain a Newsletter about Yolanda House. The newsletter would be a monthly or bi-monthly form of communication for volunteers, as well as regular and on-call staff. It would include a calendar of events, recognition, shelter news etc.
Storyteller
Job Description: Yolanda House, the YWCA’s domestic violence shelter has an opportunity for a volunteer to read stories to the children in the evenings. Ideal time would be 7-8 PM the days are variable. Volunteer must graduate from the state mandated domestic violence training course and pass a background check.
Crisis Line Coverage
Job Description: We are in need of a volunteer to answer our crisis line and provide services to residents during staff meetings.
Hours: Tuesday from 1-4 pm and the fourth Thursday of each month from 8 am-12 pm.
Requirements: This person must graduate from our state-mandated domestic violence training course and pass a background check.
Transitional Opportunities Project (TOP)
TOP is a residential program offering education, counseling, and job skill services to women as they transition from federal and county incarceration back into the community.
Kids’ Craft Night Organizer/Child Care
Job Description: Volunteers needed to help organize and supervise a craft night and fun projects for the children of women living in transitional housing at the YWCA downtown. These children often experience trauma and instability and need extra support and activities.
We are looking for volunteers that could commit to helping for one month of Mondays from 4:45-6:45. Ideally the volunteer would be comfortable working with children ages 2-10 and very creative: able to create fun, low-cost projects. Being a part of kids’ craft night would include: Working with children on basic crafts, planning crafts each week (with support from staff), and supervising children as they complete projects.
Adult Education Tutor for Ready-to-Rent Class
Job Description: Work with adults needing additional support due to mental health challenges or disabilities during Ready to Rent class. Volunteers are needed on Mondays from 9:15-11:45 am. Ready to Rent class will begin in July and will last for 6 weeks.
Guest Speaker for Employment Workshop
Job Description: Volunteers needed to speak at employment workshops for 15-20 minutes about current employment issues, including what employers want in an employee, how to find a job, how to ace an interview or similar subjects.
These opportunities could be ongoing or a one-time commitment. The workshops are held Tuesday morning from 9-10 am at the YWCA downtown. The workshops are for women living in transitional housing because of domestic violence, low-income, and/or after a period of incarceration.
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