Volunteer Opportunities

Items that roll up into volunteer opportunities

Campaign – Elections volunteer support

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

Democrats are motivated to win the White House and a Senate Majority. We’ll have critical races here in Oregon too. Every volunteer call, postcard, text gets us closer. You can help volunteers be more effective and have way more fun doing it!

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Friendly, good explainer, some experience canvassing, phoning, postcards or texting, reasonably comfortable with virtual tools like Zoom and google. Could be a few hours a week or more if you like. You can focus on specific effort or some of each: Senate races, Biden battleground states, Vote by Mail applications.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

This campaign season, our election office will be virtual. We need help to run this “Election Hub” Welcoming, orienting and tracking volunteers; Hosting phone banks and postcard parties – training and supporting volunteers; updating campaign contacts, scripts and event dates.

For more info, email Marcia Schneider at marciapnp@gmail.com

Racial Inclusivity Work Group

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

Racial Inclusivity Work Group (RIWG) has a mission to diversify the Party’s membership and leadership, by building a strong foundational for organizational change from within.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

People with experience in equity, diversity, and anti-racist leadership

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

Currently seeking people who identify as Asian, Black, Indigenous, or Latinx to ensure a membership makeup that is 75% people of color.

For more info, email GM García at equity@multdems.org

Education

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

We have been working with Senator Lew Frederick regarding K-12 assessments. We have also been involved with the campaign to fund preschool for all in Multnomah County.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

We are looking for folks who are interested in working on public education issues particularly at the local, county and state levels, that includes educators, parents and grandparents.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

We meet monthly on the third or fourth Thursdays of the month from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, currently by zoom. We appreciate participation in our discussions and willingness to work on the local and state level to facilitate change.

For more info, email Margi Brown at margibrown42@gmail.com

Election Integrity Work Group

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

Small donor elections program for Portland city elections

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Interest in helping pass useful local and state and, to some extent, national legislation

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

One conveyor is needed, along with anyone interested in being a workgroup member.

For more info, email Bill Harris at bbharris1936@gmail.com

Communications

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

We are the messaging for this party. The communications team projects our values through email, social media, and other means. Recently, we used these tools for a successful online fundraiser. During election season we rally volunteers and activate voters.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Digital communications skills and/or interest is what it takes! Writing, communications, graphic design, email list building, public relations, social media.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

Email administrator, Social media manager, content creator, project management, Zoom administrator.

For more info, email James Davis at communication@multdems.org

Platform, Resolution and Legislative Committee

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

2020 Platform of the Democratic Party of Multnomah County, an innovative political document. Resolutions in support of important legislation.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Ability to research and follow legislation.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

Study group members.

For more info, email Faith Ruffing at fruffing@frontier.com

Legislative Liaison Group

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

Using the Multnomah Democrats Platform, we work to get legislation passed at all levels of government by finding bill sponsors, writing and delivering testimony, and maintaining a relationship with elected leaders.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Willingness to learn how state, federal and local governments work. Research capability. Passion (not a skill but necessary for our work). Patience.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

No specific roles. It is helpful if members are also the member of a Platform study group, but not necessary to learn how to be a good advocate.

For more info, email Bobbi Yambasu at bobbiy4967@gmail.com

Budget Committee

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

Keep the party making smart financial decisions. Maintain financial records and budgets in line with best practices for groups such as ours.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Helpful to have some budgeting experience, but not required.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

Committee members We create balanced budgets based on needs of the organization — a program budget.

For more info, email Bobbi Yambasu at bobbiy4967@gmail.com

Basic Rights

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

Our group has written resolutions calling for support of the Compassionate Change District (which later became Hygiene 4 All), respecting the sovereignty of Venezuela, finding funding for homeless services in Portland, and supporting a $2000 monthly UBI as an emergency Covid response. Additionally, we’ve begun laying the groundwork to launch a public pressure campaign to get our legislators to support an emergency Covid UBI: http://multdems.org/2000now/ Our full platform article can be read here: https://multdems.org/resources/platform-of-the-party/basic-rights/

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

Researching, coding, writing, campaigning, facilitating, project management, networking, and strong interpersonal skills for coalition building and speaking with legislators.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

Roles are defined by your skill-set and the amount of time you can commit.

For more info, email Mark Nerys at marknerys@gmail.com

Justice Study Group

Latest Info, Volunteer Opportunities / By

Impact on the community and recent examples or accomplishments:

The study group focuses on multiple criminal justice issues, re policing, prosecution, sentencing, incarceration, alternatives to incarceration, and other relevant community issues; we focus on injustices and inequities in all these areas and reforming the system as a whole due to the over representation of people of color and those with limited means. After drafting the criminal justice section of the Platform, we lobby legislators on our issues. Recently we submitted a Resolution to MultDems Central Committee about release of prisoners to provide safety in Oregon prisons during the pandemic. We share information within our study group about criminal justice topics and actions to take, e.g., supporting the recent election of a progressive DA in Multnomah County and signing a ballot initiative about drug treatment & decriminalization.

What skills this committee or volunteer position is looking for:

No special skills are necessary for participation, just a strong interest in criminal justice issues and reform. It is helpful that we have some members who have criminal justice jobs, some who themselves or family had experience with the criminal justice system, and some with prior experience working on criminal justice reform.

What other roles and/or positions are in the committee:

There are no official roles or positions. Everyone can suggest actions for the group to take, and then we decide by consensus. One person volunteers to convene study group meetings and represents the group at the Platform, Resolution, and Legislation Committee (PRLC) monthly meetings, which are open to all.

For more info, email Sally Joughin at sjoughin@earthlink.net