Multnomah County warming shelters are seeking community volunteers immediately and in the coming days.

Dear neighbors,

During this last winter storm 344 of our neighbors found warmth and safety at our severe weather shelters. But with increasingly dangerous conditions settling over our region, we anticipate that many more people will need these warming resources over the next few nights and days. Please share widely with your neighbors.

Severe weather shelters remain open today, Monday, Jan. 15, through Tuesday, Jan. 16 at noon.

Multnomah County warming shelters are seeking community volunteers immediately and in the coming days. Anyone is encouraged — especially people who have volunteered before and those with experience in human services and health-related settings — to join us.

Multnomah County Press Release: Care for When it’s Cold: https://www.multco.us/care-when-its-cold (updated Jan 15)
Warming Shelter Flier: English | Spanish

The warming shelters open are:  

Other volunteer opportunities:

Logistics Support: The Logistics Staff role can work in the supply warehouse in Northeast Portland, install protective floor coverings in shelters, deliver and pick up materials, and more. Shifts on Tuesday (for driving materials) and Wednesday (for demobilization) are still open.
Passenger Transportation: The three roles in the Passenger Transportation Unit (Driver, Partner-Navigator, Dispatcher) work together to help community members who need a ride to a County warming resource get there safely.
Behavioral Health Specialists (multiple sites): Those who meet the Behavioral Health Specialist requirements can help create a safe and supportive environment for all guests and staff. You can also see all available shift opportunities from this All Positions/Sites Landing Page.

More information – Trainings and Transportation

Trainings: Prioritize the required Bloodborne Pathogens Training series listed under each position description. General Staff and PICs should also prioritize the “Saving Lives with Naloxone” training.
Other considerations: Review this list of things to keep in mind about signing up to support an emergency activation.
Find more information, including time entry instructions for shifts worked during an emergency, in the Disaster Service Worker FAQ.If you have any questions, contact eoc.adminsection@multco.us. We continue to be grateful for your willingness to meet our community’s needs.
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Help Children Become Better Readers

Volunteer flier image

Make a difference in a child’s life. Literacy rates in early elementary school have proven to be a foreboding indicator of a student’s success down the line in the rest of their academic career, and beyond. Fourth-graders who can’t read at grade-level are four times less likely to graduate from high school. Without a strong reading and fluency foundation, children are being faced with obstacles that challenge them throughout their school experience. And that’s where AARP Foundation Experience Corps volunteers come in. 

AARP Foundation Experience Corps (EC) is a national, intergenerational volunteer-based tutoring program that is proven to help children who aren’t reading at grade level become great readers by the end of third grade. The Portland chapter of EC is housed within local nonprofit Metropolitan Family Service (MFS), whose mission is to “help people move beyond the limitations of poverty, inequity and social isolation”– and EC seeks to do just that. Older adult volunteers are placed in a neighborhood school and matched with several students identified by their teachers as struggling readers, working together for several hours each week and get to see their students learn and grow, as readers and as humans

If you’re interested in investing in the success of Portland’s students, consider applying to be an Experience Corps mentor. By committing 4-10 hours a week, you can help students get up to their grade’s reading level, setting the foundation for academic promise in the years to come. By serving as a volunteer, you really will be able to make a difference in a kid’s life. Literacy opens so many doors, all of which will only aid students along their path. 

To read more please see the full article and volunteer flier.

For more information about volunteering for the 2021-22 school year:

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