The late February storm that gave Portland near-record snow accumulation, followed by days of cold temperatures and icy roads, left many neighbors who live unsheltered in a dangerous position.
That’s why Multnomah County and the City of Portland acted quickly to open severe weather shelters, with seven warming shelters open during the peak of the emergency. Open four nights and two days, these shelters provided hundreds of Multnomah County’s most vulnerable residents a place to sleep and warm up, adding to the hundreds of shelter beds already open year-around.
But the scale of that response might not have been possible without the dedication of community volunteers, who stepped up to help keep shelters open after the unexpected snow and resulting road conditions created some initial staffing challenges. Over the course of the activation, 85 community members volunteered to help with all aspects of shelter operations.
Community volunteers said that while the work at shelters is often challenging and might not be for everyone, it can be deeply meaningful.
Work provides meaningful and practical experience
“In a culture and time that is dedicated to dividing us from each other and from ourselves, it’s powerful for me personally to get to experience something different, something connecting,” Barber said.
Barber, who has worked during multiple warming and cooling center activations as a Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) volunteer, keeps returning to volunteer at shelters because it feels like a small but impactful way to support community members who are experiencing hardship.
“I get to be one tiny little data point in helping somebody who is being failed in so many ways by our community and by our culture,” Barber said. “I get to be one little point of evidence to that person that somebody cares about them and somebody loves them.”
The NET program is an easy pathway for someone interested in volunteering. Thousands of Portland residents have gone through the NET program’s basic training, which is offered free to anyone who lives or works in Portland.
“Through the NET perspective, it gives me good training and experience for mass care, which might come up in a big earthquake or something,” Meininger said. “But really, the more immediate thing is I have the training and the skillset that I can pitch in, and I have the luxury to be able to have the time to be able to pitch in.”
“It helps me feel a little more useful since I have particular experiences to add,” Stein said.
Her medical support work at a shelter could range from helping people with wound care and providing over-the-counter medication for minor ailments, to life-saving work like administering naloxone to someone experiencing an overdose.
“It’s a good feeling to get out and help neighbors and be part of the solution instead of part of the problem,” Stein said.
Volunteers say the work is challenging but rewarding
Barber said every shift he’s worked has been “gut-wrenching.” During the most recent storm, a man came into the shelter wearing a Mylar emergency blanket and wet hoodie, with no pants, shoes or socks. The man’s teeth were chattering, and Barber says he thinks the man would have died had he not come to the shelter.
Barber has also helped staff with administering naloxone to stop overdoses, and helps with other tasks such as cleaning bathrooms. But he keeps coming back because of the meaningful nature of the work.
“It’s a powerful reinforcement that there’s a need, and that there are things that we as individuals can do to take responsibility for our community that don’t involve the big picture, that just involve being an individual person showing up with love,” Barber said. “It’s hard, and it hurts, and it doesn’t feel good, but it feels meaningful.”
“A first-time shelter worker is never going to be by themself dealing with a situation,” Meininger said.
For anyone interested in volunteering for future severe weather events, the County will post signups, when available, for a two-hour online training session. Each session includes time for questions and answers, and can be beneficial whether it’s before or even after someone takes their first shift. For updates on opportunities, check multco.us/cold.
Stein said she’s experienced some difficult moments volunteering, but the work is rewarding, which is what keeps her coming back.
“It can be stressful, but I’m always left with a feeling of satisfaction. I find it very meaningful work to do, to be where people are in need and part of a group effort to meet that need,” Stein said.
Stein also said she appreciates how meticulous the County is about conducting trauma-informed debriefings after each event, to ensure staff and volunteers have the support they need to cope with what they experienced during the activation.
“There are lots and lots of opportunities to decompress and debrief and make sure we’re tended to,” Stein said, adding that the support after events is one reason she has returned as a volunteer multiple times.
The volunteers said working at a shelter might not be a good fit for everyone, but that it can be very meaningful for people wanting to serve their community.
“This is one meaningful, life-saving thing, connection-building, and love-generating thing that is tangible that you can do,” Barber said.
