Volunteer Leader Profile: Smart Ocholi

Smart Ocholi joined the volunteer community in Portland in 2007, and was trained by Hands On Greater Portland as a Volunteer Leader last month. Here is the unique story of how he got involved with Hands On.

I am originally from Nigeria and came to the U.S.A. in 2002 through a yearly Visa Lottery program, conducted by the U.S. government, which is expected to bring about 50,000 immigrants from all over the world to the U.S.A. Upon arrival, my wife and I settled in Dallas, Texas, where I joined the U.S. Army in 2002. I was posted to Germany in 2003, and then deployed from Germany to Afghanistan in 2005-2006.

Back in Nigeria, I led and participated in a number of volunteer activities, such as HIV/AIDS awareness programs, road construction and maintenance, community development, and youth mentoring/teaching. Also, while deployed to Afghanistan, I supported and participated in some humanitarian programs, delivering toys, educational materials, and other amenities to the children and adults in the communities around the military bases.

I moved with my family to Portland after more than 4 years of active duty service with the military to work as operations manager for a recycling company. I started seeking out organizations where I could contribute to the development and basic needs of the community around me. That was when I found Hands On Greater Portland and became interested in a number of its programs. Many of the opportunities available through Hands On are similar to the work I did in Nigeria and Afghanistan, and I am anticipating that helping out in Portland will allow me to connect back to that work.

--Smart Ocholi