Community Service and Volunteer Opportunities

Community Service and Volunteer Work Opportunities

Many colleges like to see that their student applicants have been involved in community service and volunteer projects. Most colleges supply a form to explicitly list such student involvement.

Sometimes it is hard to know where to find these outlets.

A first stopping place is your church congregation. We as Christians are commanded to reach out to others in Christ's love and can find many avenues in and outside of church to exhibit such love. Check with your pastor and fellow church members to find the outreach ministries recommended by it.

Below is a list of organizations and opportunities that some in our homeschool community have been involved with and have found beneficial and friendly to teenage homeschoolers looking for an outlet for community service and volunteer work.

(Note most of these are not Christian organizations nor have the primary purpose of evangelism.)

Beaverton Youth Peer Court: http://www.beavertonpolice.org/community/youth/peercourt.aspx

Community Libraries always need people to help shelve books:

http://www.wilinet.wccls.lib.or.us/

Guide Dogs for The Blind, Sightmasters Puppy Raisers, Washington County: http://www.sightmasters.org/

Habitat for Humanity: http://www.wwhfh.org/volunteer/index.php

Loaves and Fishes, Meals on Wheels to Senior Citizens:

http://www.loavesandfishesonline.org/content/getinvolved/volunteer.asp

Oregon Food Bank: http://www.oregonfoodbank.org/make_a_difference/volunteer/

Pregnancy Resource Centers—call specific center for volunteer opportunities: http://www.prcofportland.com/findus.htm

Providence Hospital: http://www.providence.org/oregon/programs_and_services/hospice/volunteeropps.htm

Reading Literacy Program, SMART:

http://getsmartoregon.org/ourmission/sites.html

St. Vincents Hospital: http://www.providence.org/oregon/Facilities/Hospitals/Providence_St_Vincent/volunteer.htm

Tryon State Park Youth Volunteers (from day camp counselors to grounds help):

http://www.tryonfriends.org/individual-opportunities/206-opportunities-for-youth.html

Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation: http://www.thprd.org/about/volunteer/home.cfm

Christian Homeschool Online Community board

for the westside (and general) Portland, Oregon area