558 N. Main St., Prineville, OR 97754 | (541) 447-6205
Bob Robinson, an independent volunteer for the Oasis Soup Kitchen, gets produce ready for a Monday lunch meal at the facility this week. On the Martin Luther King Day of Service, on Jan. 16, volunteers will be doing a similar service by preparing a meal for the needy at the soup kitchen, with the oversight of Rich Will, manager for the Oasis.
Although Martin Luther King Day is a day off for many schools and organizations, a Central Oregon non-profit has committed to make this a day to connect volunteers and projects around the tri-county area.
Volunteer Connect is currently inviting Central Oregonians of all ages to participate in the third annual Martin Luther King Day of Service, on Jan. 16.
The day of service is based on the spirit of Martin Luther King’s words, “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Tia Sherry, Volunteer Connect spokesperson, said that they work with 115 non-profits and organizations throughout Central Oregon.
“We work with the tri-counties and we are a non-profit organization,” said Sherry. “We are like a centralized volunteer center, where we compile and recruit volunteer opportunities.”
Every year, Volunteer Connect helps orchestrate the Martin Luther King Day of Service by helping to engage more than 350 volunteers in 26 different projects around six different communities.
Currently, the Oasis in Prineville is participating in the Martin Luther King Day of Service. Rich Will, Manager of the Oasis, commented that volunteers will be helping to prepare and serve a meal at the Oasis Kitchen.
“The Martin Luther King Day of Service is a day to match up volunteers to projects,” said Will.
He emphasized that there is a need for volunteers all year long as well.
Will said that the Oasis currently has approximately 75 volunteers who come in throughout the month. Most of them are groups of four to five who come in once per month. He also has groups who work once per week. In all, there are 10 churches around Prineville, as well as one from Powell Butte and one from Terrebonne, who volunteer at the soup kitchen. The Crook County Christian School also has volunteers who help out.
Sherry said that projects are available for groups, individuals, and volunteers of all ages in Central Oregon on Jan. 16. This is only one of the many projects coordinated throughout the year by Volunteer Connect.
To see a full list of projects for Volunteer Connect go to: www.volunteerconnectnow.org/mlk
To contact Tia Sherry, call 541-385-8977
To contact the Oasis, call Rich Will at 541-447-7727.
Volunteer Connect has four main areas of focus: connect volunteers with ongoing volunteer opportunities to serve community needs, provide a calendar of one-time opportunities for volunteers with little time, match corporate employees with service projects, and continue to help educate service-learning students for lifelong community engagement and leadership.
