The United Way of the Columbia-Willamette is inviting community members to take part in community service projects to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jan 21.
With the help of Hands on Greater Portland, the United Way has identified a wide variety of service projects throughout the four-county Portland/Vancouver metro area, scheduled on MLK Day. Volunteer with your friends, family, children or co-workers by engaging in work focused on effective and lasting changes.
Opportunities to volunteer include:
• Fix Up the Black Parent Initiative's New Home
The Black Parent Initiative has recently moved into donated space in NE Portland and it needs a facelift. Help put a little color on the walls to brighten up their offices and meeting area! Volunteers will help spackle, rough up, and finally paint the walls.
• Marshall SUN School Make A Difference Day
Participate in the spirit of Dr. King's legacy by creating a clean, safe learning environment for the culturally and ethnically diverse population of Marshall Campus. This is a student-led school beautification project that will mobilize students and community volunteers to clean up the front entrance to the school.
• Cover Library Books for David Douglas School District
One of our most popular projects: support librarians, teachers, students, encourage reading, and protect library books, a precious resource
• Build A Food Pantry
Shiloh Christian Center, in coordination with the Oregon Food Bank, offers a local Food Bank every Friday to serve the needs of residents in the New Columbia area of North Portland. However, it needs a new shed to in which to store donated food. If you have any carpentry skills, you are especially welcome on this project, but no skill is required.
• Cover Library Books at Fort Vancouver High School
Put covers on the most popular hard-back and paper-back books, preserving them for use by students at this multi-cultural school where more than 50 languages are spoken.
• Create A Craft with Girl Scouts Beyond Bars
Volunteer alongside a Girl Scout troop whose mothers are incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. The program provides girls an opportunity to visit their incarcerated mothers weekly to monthly and take part in mother/daughter Girl Scout troop meetings. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, volunteers will work with the girls to make art projects.
These are just a few of the opportunities on offer.
For more information, go to www.unitedway-pdx.org/donateGetInvolved/volunteerOpportunities.htm.
