Diane & Siggy
Volunteering & Student Service-Learning
Volunteering at Maybelle Center isn’t about checking a box. It’s about connecting with people in real, human ways. It’s about belonging yourself.
Whether you’re looking for a place to belong or want to help someone else feel like they do, there’s a place for you here, whether as a community volunteer or through student service-learning.
No special skills required. You just need a willingness to show up and care. Sometimes the most profound impact comes from sitting down and listening to someone’s story.
You’ll grow alongside the people you meet. Most volunteers come to give, but you leave with a deeper understanding of yourself, of what causes human isolation, and what it really means to belong.
You’re not a helper. You’re a neighbor. A co-creator. Our Members and Residents have powerful stories, perspectives, and wisdom that will stay with you long after you leave.
Whether you have an hour a week or a few hours a month, your presence matters.
Spotlight
Meet Charlie: Driving Lyft to volunteering
Spotlight
Hear from Mary Ann about supporting Members during their last days
Community Volunteering
Volunteers from all walks of life partner with us across our Center and 35+ affordable housing communities in downtown Portland. Whether you’re at our Center or out in the community, you’ll be helping neighbors feel seen, known, and valued for who they are, not what they’ve been through.
Most often, volunteers serve as conversation partners with Members through weekly social visits, a cornerstone of our work for over 30 years. You’ll be matched with another volunteer and a Member who chooses the visit location, whether in their home, a public space, by phone, or online. Together you’ll co-create a space for genuine, nonjudgmental listening.
What happens in these visits is simple, but what volunteers and Members alike take away from it is anything but small.
If a weekly schedule doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of other ways to get involved: playing cards or chatting with Members in the Community Room, helping lead an art class, hosting a birthday party, joining our community choir, supporting special events, or something we haven’t thought of yet.
Student Service-Learning
Service learning enables college and university students to gain hands-on experience applying academic knowledge to real-world situations.
At Maybelle Center, students develop a deeper understanding of how mental health challenges and financial hardship affect well-being, and leave with an advocacy mindset and the tools to create spaces for connection in their personal and professional lives.
Our longest-standing relationships are with nursing programs, but students of all majors are welcome. We focus on creating the conditions for relationships between students and Members that are grounded in reciprocity and a genuine sense of belonging. This enables meaningful connection with people students may have previously felt uneasy around or perceived as a possible threat, and that’s often where the deepest learning happens.
Get Involved
We’re thrilled that you’ve made it this far. We’d love to get to know you better and share information about current opportunities at Maybelle Center. Please fill out this quick form, and we’ll be in touch within 48 hours.
Please note that all volunteers must be 18 years or older.