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Hands On Greater Portland formed in 1996 when a circle of
friends sought to recreate in Portland the successful
“Hands On” model of volunteering. The model had become
popular in cities such as Atlanta, New York, and Chicago
by connecting volunteers with one-time projects that
required no advance training or experience.
Hands On became an instant success. Scores of
volunteers found in Hands a new way to incorporate
volunteering into their busy lives.
By 2000, Hands On was connecting hundreds of
volunteers a year through its monthly calendar of
service projects and by consulting with businesses and
other employers. It held its first Hands On Portland Day
to engage 600 volunteers in a successful day of service.
By 2003, Hands On was connecting 4,000 of volunteers
a year when it merged with VolunteerWorks, the other
Portland-area volunteer service organization. The merger
created a streamlined, more efficient organization from
which to expand volunteerism in the Greater Portland
Area. New programs included referrals to a variety of
volunteer opportunities throughout the Portland metro
area and volunteer manager training.
Hands On took another giant step forward in 2004 when
it started Hands On Washington County, a collaborative
effort to create a volunteer program for Oregon’s
second-largest county.
In 2005, Hands On added the Civic Leaders project, in
partnership with United Way and Partners in Diversity,
to help connect leaders of color with nonprofit Boards
and government Commissions. It grew its annual service
day to more than 1,200 volunteers.
This year, 2006, Hands On celebrates its 10th year as
an organization that makes more than 13,000 volunteer
connections a year in partnership with 200 nonprofits,
schools and community organizations. In the past three
years alone, Hands On Portland has tripled its number of
volunteer connections while new and varied ways for
volunteers to get involved. In recognition of its
expansion into Washington County, and to set a future
course, the Board of Directors approved a name change to
Hands On Greater Portland. It also established an
endowment fund to provide long-term financial stability.
Looking forward, Hands On anticipates more growth as
it pursues its vision of helping to create a community
where everyone has the opportunity to share their time
and talents for the benefit of all of us. |
