Friday, Oct. 11, 2024
Another year of impact in the books. This year's Community Impact Week has wrapped and we have so much to share about the many nonprofit partners we were able to assist, the myriad of volunteers with fascinating stories and cares, and the innumerable hours of work we were able to give back to our community. This amazing week of volunteerism is a highlight for many at United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, allowing us to further engage with and build community across Clark, Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties. Check out some of the project highlights below and the many pictures of do-gooders doing good!
Tryon Creek
This year we had a new partner in Friends of Tryon Creek. We mobilized a large group of volunteers to go out to this urban forest haven and pull down some not-so-friendly ivy! This was dirty work, but oh so rewarding to see the forest transform and know that we all had a part in helping this beautiful place thrive. A special thanks to Columbia Distributing for sponsoring Community Impact Week and bringing a big group of volunteers from across the state of Oregon!
IRCO New Beginnings Market
The New Beginnings Market is IRCO's no-cost, one-stop-shop for refugee families who have recently been placed in our community. The Market offers a wide variety of clothing items, furniture, kitchenware, decorative pieces, personal care supplies, and much more, free of charge to families who visit it. But with all that on offer, a lot of organizing and inventory is needed. We brought a huge group of volunteers to the Market to help with just that. Over the course of a few hours we were able to transform the space and get accurate counts of what IRCO had to offer.
PDX Books Through Bars
PDX Books Through Bars mails literature and educational books to adults in custody nationwide. They offer care, support and love to those in our country that are oftentimes forgotten. This project is a special one to us at United Way, and offers one of the most engaging, emotional and impactful volunteer experiences. Volunteers are able to open letters from prisoners across the nation and read their requests for books, then seek out a fitting book in Books Through Bars' library! We package them up and send them out then! A special thanks to Deloitte for sponsoring Community Impact week and bringing a pack of do-gooders to this event!
Transition Projects
This is the second year we've partnered with Transition Projects for Community Impact week and we had a great time yet again! Volunteers were asked to bring a basic food item that could be packaged and prepared for sack lunches that homeless individuals could take with them. The event was held in one of Transition Projects' shelters, and volunteers had the chance to learn a lot about the work this nonprofit does to address one of our region's most pressing issues. And for the artsy crowd, there was bag decorating! Take a look at some of the fun photos!