Quaker Voluntary Service opened a QVS house in Portland, Oregon in August 2013. We are thrilled to welcome Fellows to Portland every year!

Sponsoring Quaker Meetings/Churches:

QVS Portland is jointly sponsored by West Hills Friends Church, Reedwood Friends Church, Multnomah Monthly Meeting, and Bridge City Friends Meeting.

There are many ways for Friends to get involved and provide ongoing support for the QVS Portland program. Want to get involved with the local QVS program? Reach out to Rachel, our Portland Coordinator.

 

Rachel Logan-Wood (she/her)

Rachel Logan-Wood (she/her)

Portland Coordinator

Portland Fellows (click on any picture for more information)

Elizabeth Zhao

Elizabeth Zhao grew up in Edison, New Jersey. She is a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a major in sociology and a minor in health studies. At Bryn Mawr, Elizabeth developed a passion for social change. Outside of classes, she has volunteered with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program as a tax preparer and co-coordinator of the BMC program helping students and low-income taxpayers file their taxes and maximize credits and refunds. This coming year, Elizabeth is excited to grow and learn as a QVS Fellow at the Outside In East Clinic.

Jenna Thompson

Jenna grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas and graduated from Duke University in 2020 (on their couch at home). She then spent a little over a year living at Camphill Village Minnesota, a farm and intentional community of around 50 people. Most recently Jenna has been an au pair in Berlin, Germany, and she enjoys swimming in lakes, reading in parks, and going on long walks around the city. Jenna is looking forward to returning to community life, exploring Quaker spirituality, and serving with New Avenues for Youth in Portland this year.

2022-2023 Portland Site Placements (click on any logo for more information)

New Avenues for Youth

New Avenues for Youth is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention and intervention of youth homelessness. Since 1997, our programs and services have impacted more than 20,000 young people as they work to overcome barriers, pursue their goals, and realize their potential. From supporting basic needs like meals and counseling to providing opportunities for education, job training, employment, and housing, we meet youth where they are—and help them get where they want to go.

Our mission is to work in partnership with our community to prevent youth homelessness and provide young people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness the resources and skills needed to lead healthy, productive lives.

SNAP Benefits and Administrative Specialist
The SNAP Benefits and Administrative Specialist will work with New Avenues PAVE job training program supporting homeless and at-risk youth ages 17-24 who come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. They will connect youth to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and applicable resources, and will work with the Administration Team to support critical back office functions. The position performs weekly data entry, direct youth support, and SNAP program enrollment assistance. As a part of the PAVE team, the SNAP Benefits Specialist will help maintain a structured, supportive and safe milieu in the PAVE Career Lab and Drop-In spaces, and will collaborate with staff across New Avenues in order to create a model that provides effective, comprehensive services for program youth.

A well-qualified candidate has the ability to swiftly build trust and rapport with youth. They also possess a strong desire to foster equitable food access, work with diverse staff and youth, problem solve, and they excel in a multi-cultural environment. Group facilitation and relationship-building skills are key to a successful QVS experience.

The Fellow will join a well-structured team environment that values youth voice, equitable program access, and the adaptability needed to sustain a dynamic job training problem for young people. They will also join an agency with more than two decades of experience providing services through multiple systems of care— housing, case management, meals, drug and alcohol recovery and mental-health supports, education, job training, culturally specific LGBTQIA+ youth supports, and more annually to 1,600+ individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility was founded in 1981 by a group of local physicians and scientists who advocated against nuclear weapons and for the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. We are the local affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War which was awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. Guided by the values and expertise of medicine and public health, Oregon PSR seeks a healthy, just and peaceful world for present and future generations by protecting human life from the gravest threats to health and survival.

Specific programs include advocating for a healthy climate and environment, ending nuclear power, and promoting peaceful alternatives to militarism, nuclear weapons, and gun violence. In addition to bringing the health perspective to issues of social responsibility, we intentionally prioritize the voices and needs of communities of color. We work to incorporate racial and immigrant justice into our environmental, anti-nuclear, and peacebuilding work.

Program Assistant:
The QVS Fellow will assist with outreach and program responsibilities for our various programs. This will include: Staffing outreach table at community events related to climate change, peace, and other social justice issues; Overseeing volunteers and coordinating outreach for our annual peace writing scholarship for Oregon high school students; Assisting with outreach for our annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemoration; Assisting with social media and news media outreach; Outreach to health professional, student, and other organizations; Assisting with organizational fundraisers, events, and other activities; Representing Oregon PSR at meetings with partner organizations and coalitions, including continuing and developing relationships with environmental justice, immigrant justice, and equity groups. Other details of the job description will be tailored to meet the skills and interests of the volunteer. The volunteer will work with Oregonians of all walks of life (Portland community members, health professionals, Columbia Gorge tribes, and activists on diverse issues, to name just a few) and a wide age range (from high school students to the elderly).
Outside In

Outside In‘s mission is to assist homeless youth and other low-income and marginalized people move toward improved health and self-sufficiency. Outside In, established in 1968, has continually revised services to respond to changing client needs. We operate a Federally Qualified Health Center and are state-certified for both mental health treatment and alcohol and drug treatment services. Current programs include a Clinic and Homeless Youth Department. The Clinic is a cutting-edge blend of western and alternative medicine. It is a teaching site for Oregon Health Sciences University, and provides western medicine, naturopathic, acupuncture, Chinese herbal, chiropractic, and dental care. The Clinic provides healthcare five days per week and 28,000 visits annually. The Youth Department serves about 800 homeless youth annually. A Day Program provides safety off the streets and basic needs resources, including 3 meals per day, 6 days per week. It also offers other wraparound supports including case management, QueerZone supports for LGBTQ youth, mental health treatment, alcohol and drug treatment, 30 units of on-site housing, 50 units of housing in the community, our “Urban Ed” Alternative School, an employment center, and the Virginia Woof Dog Daycare/Job Training Center. This past year, 7 youth obtained their GED, 32 enrolled in college, 126 were employed, and 124 youth were supported in our housing options. 92% of youth graduating from Transitional Housing did not return to the streets.

There will be two possible Fellow positions for a placement with Inside In:

Fellow Position: Youth Engagement Specialist

The goal of this position is to support homeless youth in transitioning from street life to self-sufficiency. The Youth Engagement Specialist builds positive relationships with youth through role modeling and mentoring; checks youth in the Day Program and ensure they are following COVID protocols upon arrival; assists with providing youth access to showers, laundry, toiletry supplies, phone charging, clothing or other available resources; involves and empowers youth participants in generating community, meeting community norms, and sense of ownership within programs and the community. Additionally, the Specialist will assure material and operational support of the Day Services Program. This can include assisting with maintaining cleanliness of program areas and assisting with food program support as needed, consistent with COVID risk mitigation practices. Knowledge of the impact homelessness has on the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities; knowledge of homeless resources; and knowledge and understanding of adolescent development, Trauma Informed Care, and harm reduction will be supportive in this role.

Fellow Position: Food Pantry and Community Engagement Specialist

The Food Pantry and Community Engagement Specialist will lead the operation of our weekly food pantry and work to build relationships with community members to increase the number of patients accessing the OI East Clinic. There will also be the opportunity to cross-train and support other clinic processes as desired. Food pantry responsibilities include:

  • Serve as primary site contact and liaison with rest of agency for the East Clinic food pantry.
  • Coordinate food donations and orders.
  • Receive deliveries, stock food pantry, and redistribute items to other sites as needed.
  • Staff food pantry, navigate patient flow and check in, onboard and direct volunteers.

Community engagement responsibilities:

  • Staff outreach events at community partner agencies, register and schedule new patient appointments.
  • Perform targeted outreach
  • Establish partnerships and conduct outreach to local schools to promote pediatric and child health services available at East clinic.
  • Coordinates with Clinic Manager to identify upcoming resource needs within the community, in response to partner meetings, and community and urban planning updates.

Most Recent Blog Posts from QVS Portland

Announcing the 2022-2023 Fellow Cohort

Announcing the 2022-2023 Fellow Cohort

We're so excited to introduce you to the 2022-2023 QVS Fellows! This year's Fellows are an outstanding group of ambitious and creative young adults. They are self-identified caretakers, students, bakers, musicians, strategists, painters, conversationists, and hockey...

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Spaciousness as Love

Spaciousness as Love

Each summer ⁠— as the program year winds down ⁠— we invite Fellows to reflect on their experience and write a testimonial to share with Friends. Erica Loredo Belfi, a young adult Fellow who served in Portland during the 2021-2022 year, vulnerably discusses the...

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We're so excited to introduce you to the 2021-2022 QVS Fellows! We have over 30 young adults eager to begin their year with QVS. Here are just a few highlights from our incoming Fellow cohort!   Colin Battis was involved with his Unitarian Universalist...

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