Volunteer!
Become a volunteer for PFLAG Portland!
Everyone has the skills and energy to contribute.
We encourage PFLAG members and supporters to become PFLAG volunteers. Your membership makes us stronger. Your participation helps us do our important work. PFLAG's volunteers are as special as PFLAG's mission.
If you'd like to help, but have never attended a PFLAG meeting, we strongly urge you to do so. It's the perfect way to start your PFLAG volunteering journey.
Next, familiarize yourself with our general volunteer roles and jobs in the section below and select some that sound fun.
Ready to Start?
Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out our Volunteer Registration Form. Our Volunteer Coordinator will get in touch with you shortly thereafter to help you find the best match for your skills and interests.
Learn the Ropes
Your first shifts will be with an experienced PFLAG volunteer, but before your first shift we require all volunteers to have attended PFLAG events and support circles.
Want to brainstorm new volunteer opportunities for our chapter? Learn more about other opportunities? Watch for our volunteer meeting notices where you can meet with other volunteers and PFLAG Portland veterans.
Sign Up for a Shift
Returning volunteers, or new volunteers who have completed a registration form and have met with a PFLAG member, can sign up for shifts by emailing the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@pflagpdx.org .
Roles and Jobs
We provide information sessions to ensure you feel fully prepared for any volunteer opportunity. If you aren’t sure of what to volunteer for or if you would like additional information before deciding, just contact us or come to one of our support meetings. We’ll be happy to discuss with you the kind of time and energy needed to volunteer. We have many opportunities and can find one that perfectly matches your interests. The list below is just a sample. If you have an interest in something you’d like to help us pursue, please let us know. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you.
Speaker Outreach
We often get requests for PFLAG folks to share their personal stories to help others in the community understand what PFLAG is all about. This may include speaking to youth groups, schools, businesses, college classes, community service fairs, and corporate diversity groups. It’s a great way to meet new and interesting people, and to get fulfillment that you are educating others and making a difference!
Information Table
PFLAG Portland makes a great effort to be visible in the Portland LGBTQ+ community and beyond by participating in local functions and community and cultural events. Our team has compiled a complete set of informational materials and display equipment to present a professional yet fun and welcoming presence at a variety of events. Usually working in teams of two or more, we have staffed information booths at many community events. Staffing information tables is a fun way to meet others and answer questions about PFLAG and our services. Let us know if you’d like to join us and we’ll keep your name handy for the next event!
Development
PFLAG Portland wouldn’t be where it is today without the kindness of its members and donors. How we educate and inform the community about PFLAG is vital. We are constantly in search of new funding sources and ways to reach out to the LGBTQ+ community to help us carry out our mission of support, education, and advocacy. Members of this committee work together to network and provide funding opportunities for PFLAG. If you would like to help in our fundraising and promotion efforts, please let us know.
Communications
Email. Web. Social media. So many communication channels, so little time. We know how important and beneficial it is to provide consistent, succinct, and thoughtful communication to our members and allies, and finding people who have the time to dedicate to this effort is crucial to how PFLAG is understood and perceived. If you have the time—a few hours a week to handle social media posts or take the lead on a different information source—we’ll provide guidance on our messaging and training on the communications tools we use. If you like sharing information and ideas and have a knack for getting the word out, please contact us.
Support Team
Perhaps the most rewarding thing you can do in PFLAG is to be one of our support team members. These volunteers simply attend PFLAG support meetings eager to listen to the stories of others and to share their own stories to help others gain insight, understanding, confidence, and compassion. No training is required, only a desire to support others through your own individual journey. And you’ll undoubtedly find a personal sense of growth as well. Can’t beat that! No sign up needed here — just attend any of our three monthly support meetings.