Volunteering

An Oregon Perspective on Volunteering

Jack McGowan
Director
SOLV

What a great state motto, "She Flies With Her Own Wings". Translation? We march to the tune of a different drummer! Think about it: the Beach Bill, Bottle Bill, and Land Use Planning. Remarkable, some would say visionary pieces of the Oregon experience. And they didn't just happen. This was not some fluke of timing or roll of the Oregon dice. These were carefully crafted elements, which set a direction for Oregon. Collectively they set us apart from our neighbors to the North and South. The people of Oregon embraced these pieces of legislation as statements of character and uniqueness. They became the "new" branding of our State.

Now, fast forward thirty plus years. Oregon has changed. New folks, new economies, new ways of doing things and thinking about things. But I believe the "old" Oregon is still here, just below the surface. And that old Oregon still believes in our motto.

People still want to be engaged. They want to be a part of something positive in and for Oregon. I see it in how Oregon responds each time we ask for volunteers for our Beach Cleanups. Why, on a given Saturday do over 6,000 folks get their kids up early, pay for their own expenses and come to clean their beaches? It's simple really; they cared about their State, their kids, and their future. I see this same scenario unfold hundreds of times each year. People throughout Oregon, demonstrating their Oregon citizenship in hundreds of ways. Cleaning rivers and illegal dumpsites, restoring wetlands, painting out graffiti, making their Oregon community, no matter how large or small, a little bit better through their efforts. This year alone SOLV will engage over 95,000 Oregonians in over 250 Oregon communities. Doing the good work for this good land.

We now have a new challenge here in Oregon. What will define our Oregon branding for this next chapter in our statehood story? Let's couple our enthusiasm for Oregon with the pride we demonstrate through our volunteer activities. The child of this marriage will not only be a true sustainable ethic, but one which will be nourished by each one of our actions. Sustainability can only be achieved by our collective, voluntary embracing of this new Oregon concept. With this nurturing, imagine what Oregon can become.

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Featured Case Study

Salmon Corps

Salmon Corps combines natural history, science, and resource management skills with leadership training and cultural education. Salmon Corps' mission is to restore salmon habitat and to provide educational opportunities for young people from the tribal communities of the area, many of whom face serious social and economic challenges.
Source: Sustainable Northwest


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What You Can Do

To find out what you can do we have pulled together a few resources we think will be of some help. [Go]

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