Volunteer
From the beginning Portland has been a volunteer-based community, where people choose to be together. Although we’ve grown and developed some paid roles, most of the beauty that happens here is still thanks to the efforts of volunteers. We rely heavily on the help and support of friends who give their time and energy to further the mission of the community, who consistently report being blessed by their experience and the people they meet here.
L’Arche communities give witness to the reality that persons with disabilities possess inherent qualities of welcome, wonder, spontaneity, and friendship. Come and experience acceptance. Come and be changed. Online Volunteer Application
How can I help?
- One wonderful connection is to be paired with a particular core member. This usually entails monthly or twice a month visits, involving activities you both enjoy. Some ideas are thrift store shopping, bowling, swimming, playing card games, watching movies, or going on walks. Whatever you like to do, chances are good that someone at L’Arche Portland shares the same interest. This volunteer role requires a one-year commitment, in order to give the new friendship time to grow.
- Another popular option is to provide a home-cooked dinner for one of our two houses--and stay and eat with us! We deeply appreciate our monthly cooks and the joy of having them at the table.
- You may like to eat more than you like to cook, which is just fine—you can join us for dinner in conjunction with an afternoon of other volunteer work, such as gardening, house cleaning, or helping with recreational outings.
- We also need volunteer help for one-time projects, ranging from carpentry to office data entry to web design to spring cleaning to you name it!
- You may have space in your home to offer a room to our Assistants, who occasionally need a place outside our community to rest and be renewed.
- Skilled volunteers may be able to contribute to one of the committees of our Board of Directors, or to produce our quarterly newsletter, or to make electrical repairs.
Whatever role fits for you, we want L’Arche Portland to become for you a place to call home, where you are known and welcomed.