Project Introduction
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Aligning with this years networking focus, and launching my presence out in the community, I am VOLUNTEERING! I have volunteered for more than a dozen organizations in various capacities over the years ranging from tabling and phone banking for Planned Parenthood, to running climate change awareness campaigns for Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG), to chaperoning field trips for my daughter’s class trips. One of the most memorable however, was the summer I cooked 3 meals a day for 120 people for an entire week at a Sierra Student Coalition Summer Training. (I had a helper!)
However, when I moved to Portland, I was slow to get involved. So, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to volunteer for a different organization each month, and sample a dozen nonprofits. I am determined to fulfill my dozen quota, but it may not be on a neat and tidy monthly schedule. I plan to highlight the organizations, perform interviews with staff, volunteers, and participants, and of course, share my experiences volunteering for causes I care about.
So, you guessed it, my first organization is the Columbia Slough Watershed Council. I have already highlighted the Columbia Slough, some of the outreach and community events the council organizes, and you can look for the interview post next week, and my personal experiences post soon.
Do you work or volunteer for an organization you would like to see me cover? Do you have a favorite cause that deserves extra attention? Have a nonprofit in mind you think I would really enjoy volunteering for? Please comment below-I would love suggestions! I post all my content to the organizations Twitter and Facebook accounts (when appropriate and applicable), and of course, my blog posts are shared with all the folks in my network!
“Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Martin Luther King, Jr
Environmental Communications 
http://www.theportlandkitchen.org!