Tag: neighborhood coordinator
What a Great Season to be a Neighborhood Coordinator, You Should Consider Joining the TEAM!
Well it is sunny for once in Oregon and I’m glad it’s not too hot since I know the trees aren’t huge fans of 90 degree heat for multiple days. Although, that’s not the case for humans but you can’t have it all. Enough of the weather, I want to talk to you all about an exciting volunteer role that we are recruiting for here at Friends of Trees. We are looking for folks to jump into the role of Neighborhood Coordinator! But what does a Neighborhood Coordinator entail? Great question!
Here is a brief explanation of what the volunteer role might look for you: Together, NCs and Friends of Trees staff guide neighborhood plantings from beginning to end. No need to be an expert! Interested volunteers will be trained and supported throughout the planting that you will be coordinating. Together with staff, you will:
- Help coordinate one neighborhood planting per year (November-April);
- Respond to homeowner inquiries by email & phone;
- Make phone calls to homeowners that have not ordered their tree(s) to help them make their decision;
- Solicit pick-up trucks or open trailer pullers from neighbors;
- Recruit additional volunteers (Takes quite a few volunteers for one planting);
- Solicit food/monetary donations from the community for breakfast/lunch;
- Set up/coordinate breakfast & lunch for the volunteers on planting day
This is just a brief snapshot of what the volunteer role could be for you! We need NCs in these neighborhoods below:
Here are a few pictures that illustrate the results of what NCs accomplish:
If you know of anyone interested in the role (or yourself) and happen to be in a neighborhood listed in the table above please send them our way, share this blog with them, and cross your fingers that they sign up for the role with our handy registration form. REMEMBER, the best way to share volunteer opportunities is still through word of mouth (or text since that’s how folks seem to communicate nowadays).
Hope you continue to have a great Summer and kudos to you for making it through this detailed blog post!!
Pablo Brito is the Volunteer & Outreach Specialist for Friends of Trees
Make a lasting difference in your neighborhood
By Kate Farrington
Friends of Trees is already planning for the 2011-12 planting season, and we need your help! In order to surpass last season’s record of 4,545 trees and attain our goal of planting 5,500 low-cost street and yard trees in the Portland-Vancouver metro area next year, we need Neighborhood coordinators who can volunteer their time to help organize these neighborhood plantings.
Neighborhood coordinators are essential to making a Friends of Trees tree planting event possible by talking to neighbors about planting trees, keeping track of homeowner inquiries and tree requests, and helping organize their neighborhood planting event with support from the Friends of Trees staff.
No experience is necessary! We’ll train you in all aspects of this role and support you throughout the planting season as you raise awareness about the planting event, help your neighbors order trees, and organize the logistics of planting day.
Neighborhood coordinators typically work in teams as adjacent neighborhoods are grouped into planting events together. Scheduling is very flexible, and most work can be done at home. The typical time commitment is approximately 80 hours from mid-summer until the planting event occurs between November and March.
Participating in this program is an excellent opportunity to meet your neighbors, develop valuable organizing skills, and have fun while making an important and lasting difference in your community. Remember, the trees you help plant today will improve aesthetics, air and water quality, neighborhood livability, stormwater mitigation, and property values for decades to come!
If you’re interested in attending our next training, please fill out this registration form. There are several neighborhoods in Portland and Vancouver that currently don’t have a coordinator, and without a neighborhood coordinator, we’re unable to plant trees there!
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FIRST TRAINING SESSION: This session is required for all prospective neighborhood coordinators. It is intended to give a broad introduction to Friends of Trees and the Neighborhood Trees program as well as information about a neighborhood coordinator’s roles, responsibilities, and strategies needed to get the job done.
Wednesday June 8, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, 2828 SE Stephens Street, Portland OR 97214.
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Tuesday August 16 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, 2828 SE Stephens Street Portland, OR 97214 (map)
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SECOND TRAINING SESSION: This session will be an opportunity for new and returning neighborhood coordinators to meet each other, talk about ideas, and learn more about our online ordering system.
Thursday, August 18, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Northeast Community Center, 1630 Northeast 38th Avenue Portland OR (map) This is for Portland coordinators only.
Tuesday August 23 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Location TBD. This is for Vancouver coordinators only.
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If you have any questions or would like to sign up for these trainings, please e-mail Kate Farrington, or call her at 503-282-8846 ext. 28. We look forward to working with you!
— Farrington is a Neighborhood Trees Specialist with Friends of Trees.