With Christmas right around the corner, we’re looking for more volunteers! From serving dinner to supervising holiday crafts or serving hot drinks to men, women and children at our sites, we have many opportunities for volunteers, families or groups!
But first, what is volunteering at the mission really like? We asked a few of our long-term volunteers to share their experiences. “Our whole group really enjoys volunteering,” Marvin said. “We had committed for 12 months, but now we’re on our 14th month because it’s so encouraging to us. We get a blessing as well as allowing the Lord to bless the men here.” Sean agreed, adding “You’re going to meet a lot of new people… They are going to impact your life, like you don’t know [how much] it’s going to impact your life. But you’re going to impact their lives too.”
Sean offered a final piece of advice, saying “One of the best things about each person you meet is that they’re broken, but God uses the broken more than he uses those that think they are complete.”
To volunteer, first, attend a Holiday Volunteer Orientation. During these orientations, you will tour our Burnside Shelter, learn about Portland Rescue Mission, and sign up for Holiday Volunteer opportunities. Sign-ups will be available at the orientation for those interested in serving at Christmastime. Holiday volunteer opportunities are available on a first-come, first-served basis to those attending orientation or workshops! Email Volunteer@pdxmission.org to learn more about orientation times, and to RSVP.
If this is an experience you want to share with your family, we’re offering Holiday Family Volunteer Workshops! You and your family will take a tour of our Burnside Shelter, learn about Portland Rescue Mission, and help the homeless together as a family by creating care-kits for the homeless community. Workshops are appropriate for ages 6 and up. Sign-ups will be available at the workshop for those interested in serving at Christmastime. Family Volunteer Workshops take place at the Burnside Shelter from 9 AM – 11 AM on Wednesday, December 6th and Wednesday, December 20th. Please email Volunteer@pdxmission.org to learn more about the orientation, and to RSVP.
If you lead a group that is interested in volunteering with us, you can complete an easy volunteer application from at www.PortlandRescueMission.org/Volunteer, and we’ll get back in touch with you!
We’re excited to share more with you about how you can best serve the homeless community this holiday season!