At Blanchet House, volunteers offer food, shelter + aid to those in need with compassion and dignity. | Photo by @blanchethouse
Maybe you have some extra time on your hands, or maybe you’re just in the giving spirit. All we know is there are more than enough great causesin Portland to give your time to. Whether you’re an animal lover, an artsy type, a natural mentor, or a healthcare enthusiast — there’s a nearby volunteer opportunity for you. Here are over 35 ways to get involved in Portland.
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.
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.
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! 🍻
Saturday
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. 🦋
Sunday
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. ⏳
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*
Most robotic automation is complex and expensive, but Ally Robotic’s programming-free robots represent a step forward for affordable automation. | Photo provided by Ally Robotics
The year is 2022. Robotics company CEO Mitch Tolson is tasked with automating production in a popular fast food chain— and he invents a new type of robot to do it.
It’s not science fiction — Ally Robotics has created a first-of-its-kind scalable robot that bypasses the need for programming and learns by watching humans work.
Portlanders are invited to invest in robotic technology (a $114 billion market)beforeit rolls out across agriculture, construction, and manufacturing industries — the investment deadline is Thurs., Sept. 29.*
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)
Cause
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 Winerypinot 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. 🍷
Open
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)
Eat
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)
Closing
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)
Try This
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 fictionadventure to relationshiptrivia. 🎲 (Portland Monthly)
Shop
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.
Community
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. 💻
Real Estate
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. *
Wellness
We’ve all been there — trouble falling and staying asleep is infuriating. Your mind races, you toss and turn, and the harder you try, the harder it is to drift off.Healthycell is a new, drug-free, pill-free sleep supplement to help you fall asleep faster, sleep deeply + wake up refreshed.Use code 6AM for 20% off. *
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You’ll want to nama-stay a while with a scenic backdrop like this. | Photo by Fuel Yoga Workouts
We’ve all seen photos of people practicing yoga at some pretty exotic places (think: white sand beaches in Thailand + Himalayan mountaintops in India) — and now Portland is throwing its yoga mat into the ring.
Keller Fountain at Southwest Third Avenue + Clay Street was the backdrop for an outdoor yoga workout earlier this month. Hosted by downtown Portland’s Fuel Yoga Workouts, the sweat-inducing event was a HIIT (that’s a workout acronym for “high-intensity interval training”), so they were invited back to hold one more session at the park on Sat., Sept. 24.
The Halprin Landscape Conservancy — which stewards Keller Fountain Park — hopes events like these help revitalize many of Portland’s public spaces where residents have made lasting memories.
The weekend workout at Keller Fountain is free + open to all fitness levels. Register online and don’t forget to bring a mat, sneakers, and a water bottle.
THE WRAP
Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.
Editor’s pick: Whenever I’m not out hunting for the perfect chai tea latte around Portland, I make my own at home using Blue Lotus Chai powder. It’s made in Eugene and is sold in reusable tins + small pouches (perfect for trying a new flavor before committing to the full size). The Star Anise Masala blend is my favorite, mixed with foamy almond milk and a little maple syrup.
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