Volunteer Information
Rivergate Commons
4737 N. Lombard St * Portland, Oregon
Thank you for signing up to volunteer at Rivergate with Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East!
Rivergate will be a 12-home condominium project on a large site purchased from the adjacent Rivergate Community Church on N. Lombard Street. The church approached Habitat in 2008 in their search for a developer of housing to support the congregation’s socially conscious desire for a project that serves the community. Habitat was able to purchase this property at a discounted price with financial support from the Portland Development Commission.
Directions
The site is off of N. Lombard near Columbia Park, behind Rivergate Community Church in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland.
Parking
There is limited street parking available around the site. Please do not park on the church lawn. If you are volunteering in a group, please arrange to rideshare or plan on using public transit. The site is served by the #75 bus line.
What to expect on site
ü We do not discriminate on basis of race, creed, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.
ü The day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
ü We do not have set break times, but please take breaks whenever needed.
ü Be conscious of the safety of others and yourself.
ü Do not continue working on a task that you are unable to do or feel uncertain about.
ü If you have any questions, please ask.
ü Hard hats are to be worn when any overhead tasks are being performed.
ü Volunteers must wear protective glasses anytime he or she is operating power tools.
ü We work year-round and work outside in the rain. We only cancel work when there is dangerous weather.
What to wear
· Closed-toe shoes or boots. Tennis shoes are most common on the work site. You will not be allowed to volunteer on site if you wear sandals or flip flops.
· Comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting paint on or getting dirty. Light clothing is recommended for the hot weather. Layering clothing is recommended for cold weather. Please wear rain pants and jacket when working in the rain.
What to bring
· Water bottle
· Sunscreen
· Lunch and snacks (unless provided by your volunteer group)
· Personal tools, if you have them! For example: hammer, tape measure, carpenter’s pencil, work gloves, safety glasses. We do not allow personal power tools on the site.
Rules and recommendations
· We recommend you do not bring valuables, including jewelry, to our worksites.
· Personal power tools are not allowed on our worksites.
· There is no smoking, drugs or alcohol allowed on our worksites.
· All volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 years old. All youth must have a waiver form completed and signed by a parent or guardian prior to volunteering on site.
Breakdown of the day
8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Site Host and Site Lead arrive
8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Volunteers sign in by completing a waiver form and making a name tag
8:40 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Site Supervisor provides a safety talk, and assigns tasks for the day
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Work on assigned task - If you need another task or are uncomfortable working on the task you were assigned, please talk to the Site Supervisor. Thank you in advance for your patience.
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Lunch - Volunteers are welcome to go off site, but please return by 12:45 p.m.
12:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Work on assigned task
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Clean-up! The more care we take to clean and put tools away, the longer they last and the safer the site is!
Questions?
Please contact Jennifer Twyman Perkins at or call (503) 287-9529 ext.12.
Habitat homes are built on the strength of partnerships between homeowners, volunteers, donors, corporate sponsorships, and grants. In addition to your gift of time, can you make a financial contribution?
Your donation builds a home!
Please visit www.habitatportlandmetro.org/donate!
Thank you for volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East! You are helping the dream of homeownership become a reality for many families in our community!