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Improve lives, strengthen communities and advance equity by mobilizing the caring power of people across our metro area. ACTIONS
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As a psychology major excited to pursue a career in therapy, I was looking forward to volunteering my time to a specific mental health or child services organization. I have had this idea in my head for quite some time now that the power of story is essential to effecting change. I believe that not only having the space to share experiences, but listening to the experiences of others and learning can really give perspective- something necessary to creating any positive change. As the cards have unfolded, I will be doing this volunteer work in the beginning of 2018 (unfortunately not in time for class requirements) so I happily settled to participate in the many volunteer opportunities Hands On Portland makes so easily accessible.
Hands On Portland has a user-friendly website and a calendar to help you find opportunities that fit your schedule and interests. When you make a Hands On account, you can easily sign up for available spots or get add yourself to the waitlist. The volunteer coordinator will send you an email with contact information, location, and other important details you should know about the event you signed up for. Check out HandsOn Portland website here.
Even though I have yet to share experiences with the youth at the Donald E. Long juvenile detention center, the most important goal for me over the course of this semester was to be an effective change agent using the power of experiences and stories. My eyes have opened to the realization that I may not have impacted anyone on an individual level as I hope to do as a therapist, the experiences that HandsOn has provided me with have given me important skills to relate to people I will hopefully encounter both in my volunteer work and in my career as a therapist. My belief is that if you can earn one person's trust to open up to you and allow them share their experiences then, two very important things can happen: that person can build on the confidence gained once they finally found someone they could trust to share their story with and they will be able to continue to share their stories and experiences with others, reflecting on their personal journey along the way. Second, others can will learn from shared experiences. Not only will I listen to the words describing their experiences, I will hear and feel the emotions these experiences have entrenched on them. I will build the skills to let them know their experiences are important and I am so grateful to have heard them - I will carry these personal skills to my future profession. The change I envision is the shared value of individual experiences across diverse groups and communities.
Over the course of the semester, I have volunteered my time to the Oregon Food Bank, HomePlate, Get Artsy With Multicultural Kids, Meals From The Heart at The Ronald McDonald House, and Games Snacks and Friendship for with Operation Night Watch, totaling over 30 hours. Below are my experiences and reflections with three of the five organizations I spent time with.
Hands On Portland has a user-friendly website and a calendar to help you find opportunities that fit your schedule and interests. When you make a Hands On account, you can easily sign up for available spots or get add yourself to the waitlist. The volunteer coordinator will send you an email with contact information, location, and other important details you should know about the event you signed up for. Check out HandsOn Portland website here.
Even though I have yet to share experiences with the youth at the Donald E. Long juvenile detention center, the most important goal for me over the course of this semester was to be an effective change agent using the power of experiences and stories. My eyes have opened to the realization that I may not have impacted anyone on an individual level as I hope to do as a therapist, the experiences that HandsOn has provided me with have given me important skills to relate to people I will hopefully encounter both in my volunteer work and in my career as a therapist. My belief is that if you can earn one person's trust to open up to you and allow them share their experiences then, two very important things can happen: that person can build on the confidence gained once they finally found someone they could trust to share their story with and they will be able to continue to share their stories and experiences with others, reflecting on their personal journey along the way. Second, others can will learn from shared experiences. Not only will I listen to the words describing their experiences, I will hear and feel the emotions these experiences have entrenched on them. I will build the skills to let them know their experiences are important and I am so grateful to have heard them - I will carry these personal skills to my future profession. The change I envision is the shared value of individual experiences across diverse groups and communities.
Over the course of the semester, I have volunteered my time to the Oregon Food Bank, HomePlate, Get Artsy With Multicultural Kids, Meals From The Heart at The Ronald McDonald House, and Games Snacks and Friendship for with Operation Night Watch, totaling over 30 hours. Below are my experiences and reflections with three of the five organizations I spent time with.
games, snacks & friendshipsTime: 6:30-11:00pm
Thursday, Friday, Saturday Location: St. Stephens Episcopal Church Downtown Portland My Experience: A group of 4 volunteers from the Portland area came together with other group leaders to support the houseless community with cards and board games, snacks, and light conversation. Games, Snacks & Friendships is part of a larger effort with Operation Night Watch to reach those experiencing houselessness and the social isolation that often comes with those struggles. Before the church doors opened at 7pm, the volunteer leader briefed us on what to expect for the evening. Reflection: My experiences during my volunteer time with Games, Snacks & Friendship was rewarding with the individuals I interacted with. I never really gave much thought to how the lack of companionship is an added stressor to those experiencing houselessness. I was happy to be able to hand out some clothes to the people who needed it most. My hope is that the individuals who come to the church to get warm, have a snack, and talk to volunteers will be able to have a more positive outlook about people in our society. After talking to some of the homeless men, it was apparent that the cold weather isn't the only harsh thing about living on the street. The degrading comments strangers make to these individuals is absolutely heartbreaking. Change on a larger level for these individuals is out of my reach but, I believe allowing them the space not only to be heard but, feel human, even for a short period of time is so important. |
get Artsy with multicultural kidsTime: Nov. 22nd 4:30-6:30pm
Location: Kateri Park Apartment Complex SE Portland My Experience: Kateri Park Apartments predominately house low income and refugee families. On a typical night with the kids, time is spent after school before parents are home from work usually. Volunteers meet in the lobby for an overview and learn about the art project for that day before the kids arrive. I was joyously surprised with my experience here. The expectations I had for this opportunity were beyond succeeded as the kids were so excited to be there. I had negative assumptions about the interactions I would have with the kids but it was absolutely heart warming to see the excitement and happy smiles on these kids faces while we talked and made the art project. I did learn that some of the kids were refugees from Somalia. Some have moved as recent as in the last couple of months. It was clear that these kids were eager to meet the volunteers and excited to learn about the art project that day. Reflection: This was such a positive and unique experience with these young kids from a variety of backgrounds. These kids were completely overjoyed to be spending time with us volunteers. As I mentioned earlier, I hoped to effect change by listening to stories and experiences, but I learned a lot from my own experience simply watching and interacting with the kids. I think the most important part of this opportunity is the positive environment the volunteers provide. I imagine some of these kids as refugee families come from difficult situations in their home countries and you can see in their eyes how happy and appreciative they are to feel not only safe but, celebrated too. |
oregon food bankTime: Nov. 21st 1:30-4:30pm
Location: Oregon Food Bank (Portland) My Experience: Though I have a had experiences with Oregon Food Bank in the past, I had yet to volunteer my time with this organization during the holidays. I expected a number of people coming together with holiday spirit and hopes to provide a meal to those who may be less fortunate. I expected food donations to be high during the "season of giving" and they sure did exceed my expectations. Reflection: I feel like it is important to include some details about my time with this organization because it is a little bit different than what I wanted -experiences and conversations with diverse individuals - but it turned out I still got what I was looking for. I found great conversation with other volunteers at the Food Bank who shared stories and why they it's important to them to volunteer and how they chose the Oregon Food Bank to spend their time with. I realized I have been forgetting that sometimes valuable experiences are found where we least expect it, and that's why its so important to keep moving forward with an open mind. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here with other volunteers and at the same time, was able to provide good food for those in need. |