Concordia Neighborhood Association | Portland, Oregon

Category Archives: Volunteer Opportunities

Last Thursday: An Open Forum

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Arts & Culture, Events, Land Use & Transportation, Local Businesses, Volunteer Opportunities

Team Last Thursday, a newly formed nonprofit, is committed to making Last Thursday an event everyone can enjoy. Join your friends and neighbors at an open forum to discuss:

  • Our Plan for 2009
  • Updates on Traffic, Trash & Alcohol
  • New Noise/Amplified Music Policy
    [Our new policy prohibits amplified music that can be heard
    100 feet beyond its source. We have applied for a noise variance,
    which will give us the authority to enforce the policy.]

Join Us:
Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 6:30PM
Acadian Ballroom
1829 NE Alberta St.
Portland, OR.

For more information on Last Thursday go to: http://lastthursdaypdx.ning.com/

Forth Annual Neighborhood-Business Collaborative Graffiti Cleanups

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Land Use & Transportation, Volunteer Opportunities

The City of Portland Graffiti Abatement program will sponsor eight (8) Saturday morning graffiti cleanups between March and October 2009. Interested neighborhoods/business associations should contact Graffiti Abatement Coordinator as soon as possible to be considered as a cleanup site.

Beginning in March, the cleanups will be held one Saturday each month from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and will be a combined effort by City-contracted graffiti removal crews, and a minimum of 10 volunteers from the community. Be a part of the solution!

Prior to the cleanup date, residents/businesses will be asked to survey their area and compile a list of sites that have been vandalized by graffiti and then to submit the list to Graffiti Abatement Coordinator at least a week ahead of the event.

The contractor-crews will focus on paint-out or power-wash removals from private properties (provided we have signed owner-permission prior to the event). Volunteers will remove graffiti from properties “in the right-of-way”, including utility poles, dumpsters, newspaper boxes, and other sites that are not routinely cleaned by agencies or owners. Previous years collaborative events have resulted in more than 1000 sites cleaned in a “season”.

Supplies will be provided by the Graffiti Abatement Program. Volunteers must sign a volunteer agreement and application form, available at the Graffiti Program webpage: http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=32420

For additional information click here.

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO PROVIDE FREE TAX HELP

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Volunteer Opportunities

CASH Oregon is seeking volunteers to provide free tax assistance for the upcoming tax-filing season. Volunteers will prepare federal and state returns for those in their community who need help — the elderly, disabled, non-English speaking, and those with low incomes. Last year in Oregon, more than 240 volunteers helped 16,172 taxpayers receive $12.4 million in federal tax returns at over 50 locations in the Tri-county area. This year we will need over 500 volunteers to meet the needs of the community.

Our mission at CASH Oregon is to provide free income tax services and electronic filing to low income working families and seniors. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides taxpayers who are income eligible upwards of $4,500 from the government. EITC, along with other valuable tax credits, go unclaimed every year. Join our volunteer team and help us help others get free tax returns and the tax refunds they need and deserve.
Volunteers are given free tax law training on how to prepare basic individual income tax returns, how to prepare the returns on a computer and file them electronically. Instruction will cover both federal and state tax returns. All materials and training are provided at no cost.

Anyone can be a volunteer. Bilingual volunteers are particularly needed. Volunteers receive many benefits, including tax law knowledge, continuing education credits, flexible hours, the opportunity to help others in their community, and a fun volunteer atmosphere.

Free tax assistance is provided in partnership with AARP Tax Aide, the nation’s largest, free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service.
Volunteer training starts soon! To sign up or obtain additional information, please call Camille McDaniel at 503-243-7765 or e-mail her at Camille@CASHOregon.org

CASH Oregon is a non-profit agency dedicated to getting low-income Oregon families the tax benefits they deserve.

Art on Alberta Organization – Volunteers Wanted!

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Volunteer Opportunities

Do you want experience in the arts or just a chance to meet new friends and neighbors? Art on Alberta is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the Alberta Art District’s distinct cultural identity through art and educational activities. We have been fostering the artistic spirit of NE Alberta Street for the past decade.

Art on Alberta currently seeks volunteers who are reliable, professional, positive and work well with a team to help us get ready for our big Art Hop in May 2009, where we will feature the work of Thelma Johnson Streat, the first African American woman to be in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Opportunities range from educational to neighborhood outreach to nitty gritty promotion. Find your niche and gain valuable experience working with our fantastic team. Contact us at volunteers@artonalberta.org for more information.

Art on Alberta
1614 NE Alberta St.
Portland, OR 97211

Wading Pool Fun & Volunteer Opportunity

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Events, Volunteer Opportunities

We are looking for volunteers to supervise the Fernhill Park Wading Pool again this summer. It is super easy…all you need to do is attend a half hour training, complete a background check, and commit to a two-hour shift of helping at the Fernhill Park Wading Pool. You are welcome to help as often as you would like, but we are so happy even when you can only help one time. When we work together, we can provide so much more for the children. The plan is to have the wading pool open on Tuesday and Thursdays, 12:00 to 4:00, July 1 through August 21st. If we get a lot of volunteers, we can keep the pool open longer on Tuesday and Thursday or possible add other days. Please give me a call if you have any questions or to put you on the volunteer schedule.

Contact: Melody Winn, 503.282.6574

Also, we have a few dollars left from the playground fund that we are going to use to purchase water toys. We always welcome donations of water toys or other things (soccer balls, hula hoops) children can use in the park. I am looking for someone to donate a badminton/volleyball net and all the supplies. Our volunteers can put them up on Tuesday and Thursday during the pool hours. There is arranged storage for all the items when they aren’t in use.

Faubion Garden Story Club – Thursdays this summer

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Events, Schools, Volunteer Opportunities

Join the Faubion School Garden for a unique event.faub.png

Children will be engaged with stories, crafts and games, while parents help maintain the newly improved Faubion Garden. Meet in the Faubion Garden Amphitheatre (on the west side of the school).

Open to all neighborhood families. Parents, bring gardening gloves & some weeding tools.

Drop in for any or all days: Thursdays at 11:00 am, June 26, July 10 & 24 and August 7 & 21

Project Suggestions Needed

Posted on by Posted in Archive, CNA, Volunteer Opportunities

[The following is a reprinted letter to the editor, originally published in November’s Concordia News.]

As a newcomer to Portland it is difficult for me to identify a community need that is not already being dealt with by some group or individual. In the six months I have lived in Portland I have been impressed by the awareness, determination, and creativity of citizens in finding solutions to the problems found in their communities.

I am an AmeriCorps volunteer through the Northwest Service Academy this year. As part of that program I will lead a Community Action Project. The only requirements for this project are that it has to serve a need of the community, and I have to lead the effort. I can do anything from leading a team to clean up a park, to coordinating a community event, to planting a garden. My job placement is with Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition, which is great, but I really want this project to happen in my own community in Northeast Portland.

I have spent some time over the past few weeks trying to think of a way I can help my neighborhood with this project, but then it occurred to me that maybe a better approach would be to let the neighborhood suggest to me what there is a need for. I will be attending the Concordia Neighborhood’s General Meeting on November 6th to introduce myself and to listen to suggestions and ideas for the community project. I hope anyone who has an idea will come talk about it with me to help me make the most of this opportunity to do something helpful with my new community.

Tim O’Neal
NWSA AmeriCorps Volunteer
503-232-0010 ext.313
tim@southeastuplift.org

Disaster Drills – Volunteer Opportunity, October 16 or 17

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Volunteer Opportunities

In October the City of Portland will be taking part in a series of disaster drills known as T4 which is short for TOPOFF 4 which is probably short for something else. Regardless, now is your chance to put your drama chops to the test!

The City needs 600 volunteers to participate in a large scale disaster scenario at Portland International Raceway (PIR) on Tuesday, October 16. There are a number of different roles as disaster victims to fill but viewing the “Towering Inferno” or any other film by Irwin Allen should put you in the right place – motivation-wise. The FBI will be conducting background checks on volunteers who are positioned at the large scale event. But if your past is checkered, no need to panic because according to the news release, “There are opportunities to volunteer at other sites that do not require a background check.” In any case, if you are interested in participating in this large scale disaster play, please con can find out more specifics by contacting June Vining at 503-823-3937 or jvining@fire.ci.portland.or.us.

If you prefer more intimate productions, there is good news as well! On October 17 the Police East Precinct will host a T4 shelter-in-place exercise from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is a need for about five to seven volunteers who are interested in participating – so these parts are harder to come by and are clearly more prestigious. Have your agent – or someone pretending to be your agent – contact Marsha Palmer at 503-823-0264 or marsha.palmer@portlandpolice.org.

Concordia University Blood Drive, September 17

Posted on by Posted in Archive, Volunteer Opportunities

The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on September 17 at Concordia University. Concordia is located at 2811 NE Holman, and the drive will be held in the gymnasium, tenatively set for 8 am – 1 pm.

To participate, make an appointment at GiveLife.org or call Rachel Cotter at 503-201-9620. Looks like a great “one and done” volunteer opportunity – where else can you help save 3 lives in one day?