Secret to a happy life

Local volunteers at Community Warehouse find a sense of purpose by helping others

Story and photo by Gayle Amorose
The Portland Upside
November 2009

Volunteer Lin Silver organizes donated goods at Community Warehouse that will be given to families in need.

“The happiest people in the world are givers.”

Taken from an interview of a disaster relief volunteer over 15 years ago, that quote has always stuck with me. It’s a wonderful summation of the reasons people devote time and energy to a cause, often for no money, little recognition, and the painful firsthand exposure to a myriad of societal ills. But despite the pitfalls, in a city like Portland, it’s easy to feel good by helping others.

For the past three years, I’ve been a volunteer with Community Warehouse, a local nonprofit that offers essential furniture and household goods to low income individuals and families.

As program manager Tom Elston puts it, “We take in free stuff, and then we give it away. How cool is that?”

Every Monday I make the trek across the Fremont Bridge to the warehouse, now located at the corner of NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Shaver Street. I sort through donations that arrive daily, and then repack them for clients. The warehouse serves about 70 households per week, supplying them with basic goods they don’t have the means to purchase, such as beds, kitchen tables, and pots and pans. Operating with a skeletal staff, Community Warehouse relies heavily on a dedicated roster of volunteers to carry out it’s mission.

In between taping together sets of dishes, and checking the shelves for a usable fry pan, I chat with another Monday volunteer, Lin Silver. She’s been with Community Warehouse for over six years and has become the unofficial “chaos organizer,” bringing order to the rows of industrial shelving that hold all the donated kitchen basics.

“Why do I volunteer here? Because I love the mission of the organization, and I love the fact that the work is hands-on. When I’m here packing orders and watching the clients coming in, I really feel like I’m doing something one-on-one to help them,” Lin says.

Donations deemed inappropriate for clients—a large armoire that doesn’t fit in a one-bedroom apartment, or a set of bone china sought after by collectors—are sold through the Community Warehouse Estate Store, adjacent to the warehouse. Run by volunteers, the store is open to the public five days a week. Proceeds from the Estate Store cover almost one third of the organization’s operating expenses.

Evy Bishop has been an Estate Store volunteer for two years. She heard about the organization through a co-worker who’s aunt, Roz Babener, is the founder of Community Warehouse.

“I was born with the garage sale junkie gene,” says Evy, “so it’s fun working in the store and seeing all the donated treasures that arrive.”

It appears that the majority of Estate Store volunteers not only donate their time to help run the store, but they also support it by shopping there, too.

“I also enjoy the interaction with staff and other volunteers, because everyone is so friendly and accepting. And talking with customers is interesting, because we get such a broad spectrum of shoppers,” she continues.

While Evy enjoys her role working with the public, other volunteers have found their niche behind the scenes.

April Doll made her initial contact with Community Warehouse as a donor. A professional organizer at the time, part of her job was to help clients find places to donate excess goods. One day while searching websites for volunteer opportunities, Community Warehouse came up and she started her stint packing orders in the warehouse two days a week.

“From the beginning, I’ve been totally inspired by what this organization brings to the community, “ says April. “And the people here are so nice, so patient, and so appreciative.”

Eventually, Community Warehouse invited April to help with the Estate Store’s online sales. Since she had no experience posting items on eBay, she faced a steep learning curve in the beginning, but now she’s hooked. April admits to sneaking frequent peaks at what the eBay auctions are doing while she’s at home on non-volunteer days.

“It’s such a great place to hang out,” April affirms.

Like April, the longer I volunteer the further I’m pulled in. After working on the warehouse side, I’ve recently switched my focus to the Estate Store. I’m also on the planning committee for the organization’s main fundraising event, The Chair Affair. In my experience, Community Warehouse offers the right combination for attracting and keeping volunteers: friendship, opportunity, and hands-on work that makes a difference in people’s lives.
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Find out more about Community Warehouse and the Estate Store at their website:
www.communitywarehouse.org Or contact them at 503-235-8786.

When not volunteering, Gayle Amorose runs her own redesign and staging business, Piece by Piece, and offers private dog training through Romp & Rastle. She enjoys writing whenever she can.