Service Availability
Community Groups: Opportunities for whole community groups (think 8-14 people) to serve together or “wrap around” a project are available
Small Groups: Opportunities for small groups (think 2-6 people) to serve together are available
Individuals: Iindividual opportunities available (for organizations where only individual opportunities are available most have indicated that they have had poor experiences in the past with whole groups committing “individually” and experiencing high attrition rates that are disruptive for their team, we want to make it super clear that these are individual commitments)
Kids: Kid friendly proximate service opportunities available (kid friendly means that kids are welcome under the supervision of parents, we encourage parents to serve once without their kids to better understand the opportunity and environment before bringing their children along)
Kids*: Opportunity to host a supply drive, curate and deliver/distribute supply kits
Vulnerable Families & Individuals
(Foster Care, Adoption, Crisis Pregnancies, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Child Maltreatment, Children’s Disabilities, Parental Mental Illness)
The Contingent – Every Child PDX
In partnership with the Department of Human Services, Every Child PDX connects caring community members with vulnerable children & families impacted by foster care through storytelling, empowering volunteers, raising up new resource parents & supporting foster families. Opportunities: Become Resource Parents, Join The Neighborhood, Support My NeighbOR, Curate and Deliver Welcome, Flash & Launch Boxes, Serve the ODHS Staff through Appreciation & Service Projects, Foster Parents Night Out (FPNO).
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids*
Kindred Partners – Safe Families for Children PDX
Safe Families supports vulnerable, isolated children and families. Working upstream from foster care, Safe Families creates extended family-like relationships—including a safe home for children to live in temporarily—that give parents space to get their lives back on track until they are in a better place to care for their children again. This network of relationships keeps children from entering the foster care system and, ultimately, helps keep families together. Opportunities: Become a Host Family, Become a Coach or Mentor, Community Groups can create a Circle of Support.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids*
With Love Oregon
With Love provides resources that nurture dignity, hope and community for children ages 0-6 impacted by foster care. They focus on tangible goods, community events, and classes to equip and support foster parents. Opportunities: Volunteer to wash, inspect, sort, curate + deliver bags of clothing and supplies for resource families, Contribute to the Holiday Stocking Supply Drive*.
Availability: Small Groups, Individuals, Kids*
The Family Room
The Family Room seeks to reunite families and strengthen communities. They provide homelike visitation spaces within the community to increase the quality of supervised family visits to increase the likelihood that children living in foster care can successfully be reunited with their birth parents. Opportunities: Volunteer at a Visitation Location, Provide a Monthly Meal for a Family during their Visitation.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids*
Serve at a Local Soup Kitchen
Find a local soup kitchen (e.g. First Baptist Church, Liberation Street Church, etc.) and commit to serving monthly with the goal of building relationships with those to whom you’re serving meals.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, Kids
Adopt a Vulnerable Individual or Family in Your Network
Within your own circle, identify an individual or family who could use some extra love and support in this season. This can include things like tangible needs that you or your Community can meet (e.g. clothing, food, toys, yard care, home maintenance, dog walking, childcare, etc.) and building relationship by sharing life together.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, Kids
Houselessness & Homelessness
(The Feast, Transitional Housing, Substance Abuse, Addiction Recovery, Mental Health)
Because People Matter
Because People Matter exists to develop, demonstrate and sustain love and generosity lived out in the world within groups and individuals. They work to create relational environments that provide and deliver Mobilization, Relief, and Development. Through Night Strike, they provide space under the Burnside Bridge for folks in the houseless community to hang out, enjoy a hot meal, receive a free haircut or shave, have their feet washed, and have their old shoes/clothes/sleeping bags replaced.Opportunities: Serve with Night Strike
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids*
Community of Hope
Community of Hope builds on the inherent strengths of families to provide holistic, trauma-informed care. Hope House, a transitional housing service located in North Portland, hosts eight families at a time providing individual bedrooms and communal spaces for day-to-day life together. Residents are encouraged to take the time necessary to begin making critical changes for themselves and their families. Opportunities: Make & Enjoy a Monthly Meal with the Families at Hope House, Partner on Projects at Hope House
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
City Team
City Team serves houseless + homeless folks in the city of Portland, their goal is to restore lives and rebuild communities through innovative programs which provide food, shelter, clothing, training, and spiritual transformation. Opportunities: Become a Mentor, Front Desk Support and Hospitality, Prepare & Serve Nightly Meals.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Portland Rescue Mission
Portland Rescue Mission provides shelter, meals and personal services, Christian discipleship, life skills training and addiction recovery for people of Portland & has been serving our city since 1949. They currently have three locations: The Mission on Burnside, Shepherd’s Door their addictions recovery live in program for women, The Harbor their addictions recovery live in program for men. Opportunities: Help Re-launch Dinner Service with The Mission, Serve Meals & Mentor with The Harbor or Shepherd’s Door.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Curate & Distribute Meals
Put together a number of sack lunches containing prepackaged food items for those experiencing houselessness. Then, adopt a few block radius that you will return to each month, distributing the meals and getting to know those to whom you’re giving them.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Curate & Distribute Dignity Care Kits
Put together a number of care kits containing items that would best serve those experiencing houselessness. These kits could be themed around pet care, personal hygiene, cold weather preparation, etc. Then, adopt a few block radius that you will return to each month, distributing the meals and getting to know those to whom you’re giving them.
Availability:Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Adopt a Low/No Income Housing Complex/Unit
Find a low/no income housing complex/unit in your part of the city and commit to visiting and hosting a meal or celebration there each month in order to build relationships with the residents there. (e.g. Friendsgiving, Holiday Party, New Year’s Event, Birthday Celebrations, etc.)
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Criminal Justice
(Incarceration, Re-Entry, Policing/Law Enforcement, Violence Prevention, Gang Intervention)
Going Home 2
Going Home 2 provides re-entry services & support to folks coming out of incarceration including transitional housing, classes, mentorship groups, tangible support & relational support between law enforcement and the community. They recently secured a building to open a new resource center just a couple of blocks away from Bridgetown Eastside! Opportunities: Support Resource Center Build-Out Projects, Curate, Distribute Supplies, Support Upcoming Community & Holiday Events
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Education
(Mentoring, Formation, Leadership Development, Podcast)
Faithful Friends
Faithful Friends cultivates mentor relationships that inspire growth, resilience and hope. They partner with local churches to find volunteer mentors (individuals, couples or families) and schools and community organizations to identify kids ages 6-9 in need of a mentor. Their goal is early intervention and long term relationship that changes the course of a child’s life. Their vision is to transform generations through the power of friendship. Opportunities: Become a Mentor.
Availability: Individuals
Adopt a Vulnerable Family at a Local School
Talk with a school/guidance counselor to get connected to a vulnerable family who may have practical needs you or your Community can meet. (e.g. clothing, school supplies, food, toys, etc.)
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Become a Mentor or Tutor
Find a local school, childcare provider or after school program (eg. Best Buddies, Head Start, HOLLA, etc.) to mentor or tutor a student needing extra support with schoolwork and/or a companion.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Adopt a Local College or University Campus
Pick a consistent time and location to show up on a local college / university campus with the goal of building relationships with the students and having something tangible to offer (e.g. coffee, baked goods, etc.). As relationships grow, you can even invite them to Bridgetown.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Community Development
(Social Enterprise, Small Business Incubation, Venture Capitalism, Job Readiness, skill development, placement, Real Estate/Renovation, Adoption Assistance Fund: Grant, Mental Health Clinic/Assistance, Down Payment Assistance)
Neighborhood Clean-Up
Adopt a few block radius in your part of the city that could use some cleaning up, that you will continue to visit and clean up each month. The goal is not simply to clean up, but to build relationships with those on the margin in that neighborhood. (Be sure to not clean up anything that may belong to someone.)
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Neighborhood Specific Service
Whether utilizing your neighborhood’s website or through some other means, adopt a monthly mission that gets you proximate to those on the margin in your neighborhood.
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Global Witness
(Refugee & Immigrant Care, Evangelism & Church Planting, Education, Entrepreneurship, Missions)
Refugee Care Collective
RCC comes alongside refugees as they rebuild their lives in Oregon through identifying gaps in care and connecting community members to those needs, through a collective, coordinated effort.
Opportunities: Become a Family or Youth Mentor, Provide Emergency Relief Support, Curate and Distribute Restart Kits*
Availability: Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids*
Pamoja House
Pamoja House is a multicultural organization serving the diverse immigrant community of Southwest Portland through education and vocational services. They specialize in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), driver’s education, tutoring, and citizenship classes. In addition to meeting fundamental needs, Pamoja prides itself in community-building and providing personal support to students. Opportunities: Be a Teacher (online, preschool, ESL, homework club, citizenship, drivers ed), Be a Driver, Host a Potluck
Availability: Community Groups, Small Groups, Individuals, & Kids
Is your Community already serving?
Let us know if you are already engaged in justice work with your Community. We would love to know more about your mission.