community volunteer

Mission:

• Compassion
• Integrity
• Equity
• Inclusion
• Transparency

Bridges to Change offers a variety of volunteer opportunities to the community.

Yard Work at Community Homes

Each of the homes our participants live in have yards that need continuous maintenance and our community volunteers help make the environment warm and welcoming for residents to thrive.

Care Kit Assembly

Our teams receiving ongoing donations for hygiene kits and other care items that help support participants coming into our services with nothing.  We have occasional assembly days where we need volunteers to help sort and organize these donations.

Special Event Support

Bridges to Change hosts events throughout the year that volunteers can help with set up, break down and other day of needs.

Anyone over the age of 18 can volunteer.  We love having work groups come together or folks individually!  Our yard work days require the physical ability to do manual labor, so please keep that in mind if you are volunteering for yard work days.

Safety: The physical and psychological safety of staff, volunteers, participants and visitors are of primary importance.

Trust and transparency: Trust is fostered through transparency in relationships.

Peer support: Through the support of peers in recovery, BTC strives to build trust collaboration and healing.

Collaboration: Partnership between all levels of staff, volunteers and clientele is valued and balanced by promoting mutual decision making amongst all parties involved in care.

Empowerment: By continued training, implementation and adherence to trauma informed services, the organization creates a safe environment for staff, volunteers and clients to build upon strengths through choice. Support is given to all involved to empower each person’s self-advocacy skills.

Cultural, Historical and Gender Issues: In promoting awareness and policies specifically designed to best serve a diverse clientele, BTC strives to provide responsive services to individuals including gender responsive and culturally appropriate services. Additionally, BTC actively works to be aware of bias and stereotypes and counter them.

Volunteer are expected to:

• Fully read the orientation information.
• Arrive on time and participate to the best of their ability.
• Be respectful of staff and clients.
• Sign in and out on volunteer days.
• Not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while volunteering.

Click here to view our Naloxone guide

Generally, we support casual attire with flexibility in adjusting to the occasion. Please be sure to wear clothing that is appropriate for the assignment. Clothing should not be too revealing. Shorts and dresses should be longer than your fingertips, cleavage/underwear should not be visible, and ripped/frayed clothing is typically not appropriate. Do not wear attire with harmful messaging,derogatory words or images or anything that could be considered inappropriate.  If you arrive for an assignment with clothing that the supervisor deems inappropriate, you will not be allowed to volunteer that day.

Pursuant to Oregon law, BTC provides a smoke-free workplace. This policy applies equally to all employees, volunteers and visitors. Volunteers are asked to not use tobacco/nicotine products with or within view of clients who are served by BTC. Volunteers are prohibited from providing tobacco/nicotine products to clients.

As a nonprofit organization, it is important that we have a record of time logged from our community volunteers. The donation of your time assists us in increasing our community profile and helps us secure financial support from public partners and private donors.  It is also a tool for us to recognize you for the  hours you give to our organization and allows us to properly acknowledge the work that you do.  It also allows us to assist you with verification of volunteer activities for your resume or for other volunteer opportunities that you might be pursuing.  Please be sure to sign in and out each time you volunteer.

• Bridges to Change is grateful to staff, community partners, and clients who are willing to share their stories, experiences and information about their experience as employees and people with lived experience.  Sharing your story can help others who are interested in knowing more about the services we provide and help promote our mission.
• Bridges to Change respects the privacy of our clients, visitors, and staff.  Bridges to Change seeks your consent to allow us to take and use audio/video/photographic material of you in Bridges to Change’s internal and external communications, including general interest publications, education, social media and website.  These materials may be distributed online, in print and in the news (such as TV, radio, newspapers and magazines).
• To ensure that Bridges to Change is acting in accordance with you wishes and using your personal information with your authorization we ask you to fill out and sign this form.  Bridges to Change will keep a copy on file.
• I do give Bridges to Change permission to record my image and/or voice and grant Brides to change all rights to use these recordings or photographs in any medium for educational, promotional, advertising or other purposes that support the mission of the organization.  I am not required to sign this authorization.  Bridges to Change does not condition employment on the signing of this form.  I understand I will not be entitled to any payment or other form of remuneration as a result of any use of any information and audio/video/photographic material.  If I decide to sign this form, I have the right to request that audio/videorecording, filming or photographing cease at any time.
• I understand that I may revoke or withdraw this permission at any time to prohibit future use of my information.  To do so, I must send written notice to the Bridges to Change Executive Director at PO Box 16576, Portland, OR 97292.  I understand that Bridges to Change, as well as other person or entities, will retain copies of any such electronic or printed versions and shall retain these versions and that any revocation of this authorization will only extend to the versions of the information within Bridges to Change’s control that have not been previously published.  If not revoked/withdrawn by me, this authorization expires ten (10) years from the date that I sign it.

• In consideration of my desire to serve as a volunteer for Bridges to Change, I hereby assume all responsibility for all risk of property damage or bodily injury that I may sustain while participating in any voluntary effort or other activity of any nature, including the use of equipment and facilities of Bridges to Change.
• I, for myself and my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, hereby release, waive, and discharge Bridges to Change and its directors, employees, agents, and volunteers from all claims that I or my heirs, administrators, and assigns may ever have against any of the above, on account of, by reason of, or arising in connection with such volunteer efforts or my participation therein. I also hereby waive all such claims, demands, and causes of action.
• I expressly agree that this release, waiver, and indemnity agreement is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by the state of Oregon, and that if any portion thereof is held invalid, it is agreed that the balance shall continue in full force and effect. I confirm that I currently have no known mental or physical condition that would impair my capability to fully participate as intended or expected of me.
• I have carefully read the foregoing release, understand its contents, and sign this release as my own free act.

At least two laws (Title 42, of the Code of Federal Regulations (42 CFR Part II 6-9-87), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, [HIPAA]) govern the confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse clients. This prohibits visitors from making disclosure of any information regarding a person’s presence and/or status in any alcohol or drug treatment facility to anyone without the person’s written consent. This regulation was designed to insure the privacy of any individual who seeks treatment from substance abuse/ alcoholism. Any person who violates any provision of this regulation is subject to a fine for the first offense and additional fines in the case of each subsequent offense. Protected Health Information is: all information collected, recorded, disclosed or exchanged that relates to an individual’s health or health care history; including mental health, alcohol and chemical dependency, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, certain minor records and genetic information, about the individual, or the individual’s family. PHI includes observed conduct or behavior that may be a result of illness or the effect of treatment. PHI includes: Name, Address, City & County of Residence, Zip Code, Birth Date, Phone and Fax Numbers, E-Mail Addresses, IP Addresses (Internet Protocol Addresses), Web URLs, Social Security Number, Medical Record / Client Number, Health Plan Number, Account Numbers, Certification Numbers, ID or License Numbers, Serial Numbers (Vehicle or other device), Finger prints or voice prints, Photographic Images, Names of Relatives, Names of Employers.

As a visitor/contractor, I understand that I may not disclose any written or oral information regarding any past or current Bridges to Change client. This includes any reference to Protected Health information, identity, physical whereabouts, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. I am aware that any and all information regarding clients is to be held in the strictness of confidence and not to be discussed with anyone without a Release of Information document signed by the specific client. I have read and am willing to comply with this Confidentiality Agreement.