If you want to help your neighbors in need

• Operation Nightwatch | Serve coffee, essential supplies, and social connection to the center’s nightly guests.
• Blanchet House | Serve meals, sort clothing, prep produce, pack care kits, be a guest chef, or help out at Blanchet Farm in Carlton.

For the outdoorsy types

• Friends of Tryon Creek State Park | Become a Nature Center Ambassador and help greet and educate guests, or hike, plant trees, and remove weeds as a Fall Land Steward.
• Green Lents | Cultivate pollinator-friendly plants, assist with workshops, join a community orchard work party, become a Tool Library librarian, and more.

Photo by Noe Chavez

Natural-born teachers + mentors

• The Shadow Project | Help make school more accessible and engaging for K-8 students with learning challenges like dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and trauma through in-person and virtual opportunities.
• Washington County Juvenile Department STEP Mentoring Program | Make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth through one-on-one mentoring for at least six months.

If you’re an animal lover

• Oregon Humane Society | Join a volunteer force of more than 2,000 people who help keep the shelter operating by fostering animals, supporting youth education programs, taking dogs for runs, and more.
• The Pixie Project | Walk dogs, play with cats, help with cleaning, talk to the public at community events, or transport animals and donations.

• Portland Ghost Tours | Ongoing | Times vary | Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 NW Everett St. | $25 | Learn about the ghoulish side of Stumptown + visit several historical spots rumored to be haunted. 👻
• Flynn Creek Circus Presents “Balloons, Birds and Other Flying Things” | Now-Sun., Sept. 25 | Times vary | The Lot at Zidell Yards, 3030 SW Moody Ave. | $35+ | Real memories from past audience members inspire a story that plays out under the big top tent through acrobatics, comedy + awe-inspiring stunts. 🎪
• Oktoberfest | Fri., Sept. 23-Sun., Sept. 25 | Times vary | Stammtisch, 401 NE 28th Ave. | Price of purchase | Live German music, commemorative mugs, a ceremonial keg + food specials — prost! 🍻

• The Wedge | Sat., Sept. 24 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Alder Block, 100 SE Alder St. | $20+ | Rind, don’t walk, to this festival celebrating artisan cheese, wine, spirits, cider + specialty foods. 🧀
• Moon Market | Sat., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 25 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Everett West, 914 NW Everett St. | Free | Browse food, drinks, up-cycled treasures + handcrafted goods while connecting with local artisans inside a bright, airy space. 🌛
• McMenamins Oktoberfest | Sat., Sept. 24 | 11 a.m. | Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale | Free | Get your fill of German-style food specials, beer + live music and bring home estate-grown produce, plants, seeds, and gifts. 🌿
• Let’s Paint a Butterfly | Sat., Sept. 24 | 3:30-5:30 p.m. | Two Sisters Play Cafe, 11923 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Milwaukie | $40 | Let your inner artist spread its wings + bring some clothes that you don’t mind getting paint stained. 🦋

• Portland Thorns vs. Chicago Red Stars | Sun., Sept. 25 | 1 p.m. | Providence Park | $29+ | A victory for the home team’s last home game of the season is written in the stars. ⚽
• Henri Bergson and the Revolution in Time | Sun., Sept. 25-Sun., Oct. 30 | 5-7 p.m. | Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington St. | $245 | Examine the author’s thoughts on understanding time in world philosophy over the course of six weekly sessions. ⏳

• 75º | Morning clouds, sunny afternoon skies | 8% chance of rain

• Rise: 6:59 a.m.
• Set: 7:05 p.m.

• Today (Fri., Sept. 23), you can join a tour of three shelter sites utilizing Supportive Housing Services funds in Washington County. Hear from elected officials + the organizations in charge of Casa Amparo in Forest Grove, the Project Homeless Connect Day Center in Hillsboro + the future site of a year-round shelter in Beaverton. 🏠 (Beaverton Valley Times)

• Earlier this year, Amanda Mailey started a monthly lunch meetup to connect female entrepreneurs in Portland. Amanda has seen so much interest in the Women Supporting Women Wednesday effort that she’s now looking for strategic partners + people to support by buying lunches. 💼 (Portland Business Journal)
• Starting this week, you can sip on rare wine at Southeast Portland’s Nostrana + support those in need. A portion of each $25 glass of Cameron Winery pinot noir bottled between 2002-2010 will support Family Meal, a nonprofit providing financial relief grants to Oregon’s food service and agricultural workers facing medical crises. 🍷

• It’s prime time for bubbly wine. Oregon’s first exclusive sparkling winery, Domaine Willamette in Dayton, opened to the public this week + is hard at work harvesting grapes. Visit the winery approx. 29 miles from Portland for tastings and food pairings, and to take in the sights (like water features and 20 acres of vines). 🥂 (KOIN)

• Honey cakes, rugelach, noodle kugel + apples, apples, apples — several Portland eateries are celebrating Rosh Hashanah (Sun., Sept. 25-Tues., Sept. 27) with special menus. Read about the traditions many local chefs and restaurant owners keep, and find out where to get your hands on some holiday food and drinks. 🍏 (Eater Portland)

• A Mexican restaurant in Southwest Portland’s Burlingame neighborhood will close Sat., Oct. 8. Since opening in 1987, Chez José has survived arson, economic uncertainty + COVID-19 closures. Owners Tom Midrano Jr. and Howie Schechter have been searching for a buyer to keep the restaurant going. 🌮(Willamette Week)

• Save this for a rainy day. Board games are great boredom killers during the winter months + now is a good time to channel your inner nut-collecting squirrel by stocking up in advance. Four board games recently created by local makers are great candidates, ranging from a science fiction adventure to relationship trivia. 🎲 (Portland Monthly)

• Time to feel the fall breeze + enjoy the autumn leaves with the Fall For Your City Sale happening now on Six & Main, PDXtoday’s online shop. Take 20% off the entire Fall For Your City Collection now through Sun., Sept. 25.

• Show your support for local journalism by joining the PDXtoday membership program. Membership has some awesome perks like exclusive birthday deals, discounts from our online shop, Six & Main + more. Plus, 100% of membership funds help support our local editors — that’s us, Ben + Cambrie. Learn more + sign up. 💻

• Cleaning and staging and strangers, oh my. Did you know you can get an offer on your house without a single in-person showing? Learn how. *

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