Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Volunteer Leader Profile: Dannon Raith

The Hands On Greater Portland volunteers buzz about the lobby of Portland’s First United Methodist Church as trilling woodwinds, plucked strings and sonorous horns echo from the church’s stunning wood-paneled, stained-glass sanctuary.

A few times a month, arts-loving Hands On volunteers help the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra prepare for concerts. Tonight before 400 plus enthusiastic arts lovers, the orchestra plays selections of Elgar, Mahler and Sibelius in a show called “Autumnal Reflections.”

Hands On volunteer leader Dannon Raith, 31, checks tickets and hands out programs at the entrance of the sanctuary while eager concert goers file in with tickets in hand. The other volunteers sell refreshments or guide concertgoers to will call and a pre-concert auction toward the back of the lobby.

We talked with Raith, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, about volunteering with Hands On Greater Portland, and how he came to be a volunteer leader for the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra.

Hands On Greater Portland: So, what brought you west?

Dannon Raith:

My brother has lived in Portland since I was eleven years old. I originally moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2009 to found a media company in Tacoma. After my partner relocated to Washington D.C., I moved to Portland to be near family. I’ve always had a fondness for Portland, and I love it more every day.

Hands On:

What drew you to volunteerism?

DR:

Since college I’ve always maintained a level of community involvement being involved in student government, founding a film club and managing a film festival. It was through my work in Tacoma that one of our clients had a mission of creating positive, meaningful change through social entrepreneurship. It put me in touch with hundreds of non-profit, socially minded businesses and organizations, and it shifted my interest toward the non-profit sector.

Hands On: How did you hook up with Hands On Greater Portland?

DR:

Google. I had been researching ways to become involved in my community. Hands On was an excellent resource because it allowed me to work with and get to know many different non-profit organizations in Portland. Through Hands On I’ve worked with the Partnership for Safety and Justice, SCRAP (an organization focused on the environment and sustainability) and JOIN (an organization focused on transitioning the homeless to permanent housing), to name a few.

Hands On:

What drew you to volunteering for the orchestra?

DR:

Free symphony tickets! I’ve always enjoyed going to the symphony. I love that a large number of musicians work in concert to bring to life something that was written many years ago. It’s kind of magical if you think about it. I’ve attended quite a few Columbia Symphony performances and I always come away impressed with the level of musicianship and professionalism. They’re often performing more obscure pieces, pieces one rarely gets the chance to hear, and because they are a non-profit, they’re able to keep their ticket prices affordable. It’s one of the pleasures I get from volunteering, knowing that I’m directly part of keeping this kind of experience affordable to the community.

Hands On:

How long do you see yourself volunteering?

DR:

I think involvement in ones’ community is something we all yearn for in one way or another. It’s human nature to pitch in for the good of some larger cause, to work. I am certain I will volunteer for things in my community for the rest of my life, and as long as I’m in Portland, I will continue to volunteer through Hands On.

Hands On Greater Portland offers a huge diversity of volunteer opportunities. You can help advocate for a prisoner’s rights by volunteering for the Partnership for Safety& Justice, or help make our community sustainable by rescuing art supplies from the landfill with SCRAP, or help a homeless person get off the street and into a home through JOIN. Search for hundreds of volunteer opportunities at www.handsonportland.org.


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