Service & Advocacy
Our Vision:
To Risk, Respond and Reach Out to those in need
Our Mission:
Transformed by God’s Love for the world
Through Christ, we are sent to
- Build Community
- Do Justice
- Make Peace
Social Justice Service Opportunities
Transition Projects Inc.
475 SW Glisan St., Portland, OR 97209
Agency Contact: Volunteer Coordinator 503-823-4930
Description: Provide transitional shelter, housing and case management services to homeless men and women in the Portland metro area. Central members have been providing this service for well over 25 years.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Prepare fresh homemade soup on 1st Thurs. of each month;
-Deliver soup to women’s transitional shelter then deliver and serve to residents at the men’s shelter.
CLC Contacts: Faye Bennett coordinates/schedules food prep and transport/server volunteers 503-880-9905 mfayebennett@comcast.net
Joan Brousseau buys ingredients for soup making and coordinates pick-up of bread 503-288-0001 Joan@northwests.com
NE Emergency Food Program
Lutheran Memorial Church, 4800 NE 72nd, Portland, OR
Agency Contact: Program Manager 503-284-5470
Description: Provide nutritious groceries (perishable & non-perishable) to low income individuals and families who do not have sufficient resources to sustain their families. NE Emergency Food is a program of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.
Volunteer Opportunities: CLC members provide food, clothing, and monetary donations to this important agency in the following ways:
-Every Sunday food and monetary donations are collected during worship service
-We need volunteers (youth & adults) to staff two shifts on months with a 5th Saturday;
-Christmas in July – Monetary donations and in-kind collection of specific food and personal items requested by NEFP during July; and
-Deliver food to center monthly.
CLC Contact: David Peyerwold, 503-757-2263 peyerwold@comcast.net
Care for Creation Team
CLC Contact: Steve Lebahn; steve.lebahn@gmail.com
Central's Care for Creation strives to improve our stewardship of God's world by following sustainability as a spiritual practice – learning, reflecting, and implementing new ways to be. To date, our work has included:
-a furnace tune-up; thermostat adjustment; building-use changes;
-switching to china cups and plates;
-composting food waste; a forum on reducing our carbon footprint;
-hosting workshops on energy use in public buildings and at home;
-Celebrating a liturgical season of Creationtide in the fall.There is much more to do. Please join us!
NW Pilot Project
1430 SW Broadway #200, Portland, OR 97201
Agency Contact: Volunteer Coordinator 503-227-5605
Description: NW Pilot Project has provided services such as: locating affordable housing; financial and job counseling; medical appointment transportation; and other essential support services to low income seniors living in the downtown area since 1969. NWP is a very strong force in holding city and county government accountable for preserving badly needed affordable housing in downtown Portland.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Recruit pledges and participate in the annual NWP Walkathon, their primary fund-raiser. Central has been one of the most active participants of any church in Portland;
_-Drive seniors to medical appointments; and
-Spend time visiting homebound seniors.
CLC Contact: Kevin Charlston 503-307-4215 kevinaki@yahoo.com
Ruth Schuld 503-234-6928
Lutheran World Relief-CLC Quilters
CLC Contact: Chris Brown 503-253-7823 brown1231@gmail.com
Description: CLC members sew quilts and prepare basic health kits and some school supplies for sending to refugees served by Lutheran World Relief and to a local agency (JOIN) serving the homeless population in Portland.
Volunteer Opportunities: New quilters are always welcomed and needed. This has been one of the most enduring and valuable service projects at Central. Quilters meet each Thursday morning to work on the beautifully crafted quilts that provide warmth and love to desperately poor people around the world and in our own community.
Social Justice Advocacy
Lutheran Community Services Network
605 SE César E. Chavez , Portland 97214
Agency Contact: Volunteer Coordinator 503-231-7480
Description: Provide multicultural services to refugees and immigrants. Help locate housing and home furnishings; provide immigration and educational counseling support; work permit registration, etc.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Attend the LCS annual fundraising banquet; and
-Donate used, good quality, home furnishings to LCS refugee center.
CLC Contact: Central Lutheran Church Office: 503-284-2331 office@centralportland.org www.centralportland.org
Refugee Resettlement & Support
CLC Contact: Fraser Rasmussen 503-744-0791 rasmussenf46@msn.com
Description: Provide both financial and volunteer accompaniment support for immigrant and refugee individuals and families attending or affiliated with Central Lutheran.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Contribute to the Refugee Resettlement fund;
-Support individuals and families by welcoming & visiting with them;
-Help with basic housing issues, medical appointments, and emergency needs.
Bread for the Worldoffice@centralportland.org www.centralportland.org
Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land a Ministry of the ELCA
CLC Contact: Esther Nelson 503-341-2755 ehnelson0620@yahoo.com
Description: Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land is a local expression of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's initiative Peace Not Walls: Stand for Justice in the Holy Land. LJHL members educate and advocate for justice and peace and seek creative ways to speak for the voiceless and counter Christian Zionism in the church, our community, and beyond. We partner with ecumenical, interfaith, and secular groups when possible.
Opportunities:
-Attend, plan, and/or present Educational forums;
-Co-sponsor, and promote to the media, community speakers and events;
-Sell Palestinian fair trade olive oil and products; Staff information tables;
-Write letters to editors;
-Lobby elected officials;
-Learn and provide information to counter Christian-Zionism; -Network and develop relationships locally, nationally, and in the Holy Land; and
-Travel to the Holy Land to witness facts on the ground and stand in solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers.
JOIN
1435 NE 81st Ave Ste 100, Portland, OR 97213 www.joinpdx.com
Agency Contact: Sydney Linden 503-232-7052 slinden@joinpdx.com
Description: JOIN exists to support the efforts of homeless individuals and families to transition out of homelessness into permanent housing. Efforts are directed at individuals sleeping outside or in their car in the Portland Metro area. Service provision is not dependent on age, gender, ethnicity, sexual identity, specific diagnosis, or identifiable issue.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Work in JOIN's day center 10 to 3 (includes day care);
- Provide friendship and support to newly housed folks;
- Help formerly homeless people re-build community;
-Help pick up and deliver food boxes to individuals and families;
-Help a household move in to their new apartment;
-Encourage school, community, or faith groups to collect items for JOIN;
-Attend Retention events;
-Log on to JOINPDX.COM to learn how to do any or all of the above.
CLC Contact: Faye Bennett 503-880-9905 mfayebennett@comcast.net
Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger (OFRAH)
605 SE César E. Chavez., Portland, OR 97214
Agency Contact: Norene Goplen, Lead Convener 503-502-6211
Description: OFRAH seeks to determine the causes of hunger in Oregon by engaging diverse religious communities throughout the State. They assist groups providing direct service, as well as developing solutions to root causes of hunger through education, political advocacy, and public policy initiatives.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Attend monthly OFRAH planning meetings;
-Serve as Central’s representative at OFRAH planning council; -Attend OFRAH workshops focusing direct action against hunger;
-Lobby our state legislators on hunger related legislation in Oregon.
Jubilee USA, NETWORK
Agency Contact: www.jubileeusa.org www.jubileeoregon.org
Description: Jubilee USA is part of the international faith based movement, which has effectively advocated for debt relief for the world’s poorest countries over the past decade. The foundation of the movement is built on the development of “Jubilee Congregations” that support debt cancellation based on God’s Biblical justice. Central is a recognized “Jubilee Congregation.” We participate in advocacy and financial support to press governments and financial institutions to cancel unjust debt in poor countries.
Volunteer Opportunities:
-Contribute to Jubilee USA as a member congregation;
-Write letters or call on congressional representatives on issues in support of debt cancellation, e.g., full cancellation of Haiti’s debt, and support The Jubilee Act in congress.
CLC Contacts: David Peyerwold, 503-757-2263 peyerwold@comcast.net
Fraser Rasmussen 503-744-0791 rasmussenf46@msn.com Gina Botel botelronning@netzero.net
