Change begins at home; at Hands On, in fact!

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By Andy Nelson, Executive Director

Babies born at the beginning of the presidential election campaign are now walking and talking, one of the presidential candidates pointed out. In other words, the national agenda has occupied the nation for months.

Now that it’s over, our focus returns home to the work of doing locally what we’ve talked about nationally for months. Both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain laid out ambitious plans for change and improvement. Yet, like it so often has, the real work of change comes down to the local level.

That’s where you come in. Through Hands On Greater Portland, volunteers are doing the seminal work of building community. Volunteers care for homebound elders, tutor children, distribute food to families, and restore urban green spaces. Last year alone, Hands On made 15,000 volunteer connections – up from 5,000 just five years ago.

Hands On is at the center of change in the Portland area. We partner with 250 nonprofits, schools and community organizations a year. We build a bridge between people who want to help and organizations that need their help to meet important community needs. You might say that Hands On is helping to create a caring, supportive community for all the babies who are now walking and talking.

Please help Hands On build the bridge. Volunteer with us this holiday season. Join our Monthly Sustainers Club and help us connect even more people who want to help with the volunteer opportunities that go unfilled. I think that the Monthly Sustainers Club is a great way to leverage your donation throughout the year. A gift of $25 a month ($5 a week) amounts to more than $250 a year, for example. Here’s a great way to pool your resources with others who believe in the positive changes that Hands On creates.

To join the Monthly Sustainers Club, simply click here or call me at 503-200-3374.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, we can all agree that volunteering with Hands On works, makes lasting change, and provides a way for all of us to come together as a community.