Frequently Asked Questions About Volunteering
How do I begin volunteering?
If you are interested in supporting Sisters’ work with your time and talents, please read the information below and if you have additional questions or are ready to sign up for the next Volunteer Orientation, contact Sisters’ Volunteer Coordinator at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 503-222-5694 ext. 43. To complete and print out a volunteer application click here. Space is limited, so pre-registration and an application form are required (click here to check when the next Orientation is and then pre-register).
At Volunteer Orientations, prospective volunteers can expect to:
- Learn about Sisters’ history, philosophy and operations
- Learn about Cafe roles, scheduling and sign-up as well as the many other volunteer opportunities available
- Gain a deeper awareness of the systemic issues and root causes of homelessness and poverty
- Ask questions, meet folks and get involved in our work to create community and end homelessness!
Who can volunteer at Sisters?
- Attending a volunteer orientation is the point of entry for any volunteer work at Sisters. We ask that all new volunteers participate in an orientation before volunteering anywhere in the organization.
- Volunteering in the Cafe is open to anyone 16 years or older who is willingly volunteering (their own choice) and not to fulfill some outside requirement. Other opportunities such as SisterSpeak and Organizational Leadership may require additional training and/or an application process.
- Youth aged 12 -15 may volunteer in the Cafe with a parent or supervising adult. Sisters’ staff will work with both youth and supervising adult to make sure that it feels like the right opportunity and that it feels safe for everyone.
- We ask that all volunteers, as ambassadors of Sisters Of The Road, understand and subscribe to our philosophies of nonviolence, anti-oppression, gentle personalism and hospitality.
- We ask that all volunteers become familiar with the standards of the cafe and our organizational policies and be willing to respect and uphold them.
Are there any reasons someone cannot volunteer?
- Groups of volunteers:This is true for school groups and scouting troops, as well as company staff service days and faith communities. We are a small cafe with limited roles, and strive to build a community that is based in relationships and gives folks the opportunity to barter for meal credit as much as possible. We are more than happy to come and do a presentation to your group, school, church, or organization—or tell you more about how to organize a benefit event for Sisters!
- One-time volunteers: This doesn’t mean that all volunteers have to make a commitment to volunteering for any specific period of time, but we hope that volunteers come to us with the intention of becoming a part of our community. If it turns out that volunteering at Sisters isn’t the right fit, we honor and respect that decision too!
- Community Service requirements: We’re not able to accommodate individuals’ needs for community service hours.
- School requirements: Because Sisters is open Monday – Friday, 10-3, and is closed on most of the public school holidays, it really hasn’t worked well for students to try to fit in school required service.
Are there any exceptions?
- Sponsor-A-Day: In this case, we allow a small group to come and volunteer for a day or part of a day. It is set up to allow a group to pay for a day’s meals (or a portion of it) and volunteer in the cafe for a certain number of hours. Suggested sponsorship is $500-$1000, an amount your group can work to fundraise in advance. This amount offsets food and labor costs, and helps to support the extra time needed for volunteer training. Please ask the Volunteer Coordinator for more details.
If volunteering isn’t the right fit, what else is available?
- Make a donation: Monetary donations are obviously great and gifts of any size are helpful. Become a Sustaining Member – your account will be automatically be debited monthly. Make a stock donation. Or learn about planned giving – recognizing Sisters in your will. For more information, visit http://sistersoftheroad.org/programs/giving-to-sisters/.
- Benefit events for Sisters: This could take the form of a benefit party for your friends, family and coworkers to learn about and support Sisters’ work to end homelessness and poverty—or a garage sale, donate proceeds from an event, show a movie on human rights and charge admission—or come up with a creative way to use your talents in support of Sisters’ work! We can provide packets of information (brochures, newsletters, and statistics on homelessness) and tips for hosting a successful and informative event. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator if you’d like to hear more about how to host a benefit event for Sisters!
- Bring our Speakers’ Bureau or PhotoVoice to your community: Our Speakers’ Bureau goes out into the public to talk about our work at Sisters and expand understanding of the issues our community faces every day. Folks can also arrange to display PhotoVoice, a multi-media exhibit which is based on the photographs and stories of our community and shows Portland through the eyes of people experiencing homelessness. The Volunteer Coordinator can work with interested groups to bring a speaker or PhotoVoice to a church, school, or other group.
- Use our educational materials: View our research database on our website, or read our book, Voices From The Street (available in libraries and sold on our website). Sisters has some designed classroom activities that teachers, community leaders, faith communities, troop leaders, etc. can do with young people to generate a deeper understanding of homelessness and poverty. Call us to find out more about these resources!
- Volunteering at other organizations: If Sisters isn’t the right fit for you, please try http://www.handsonportland.org – they have an extensive list of organizations that might be the right fit.
