Adult and Family Opportunities
Adult volunteers play a vital role in the success of THPRD programs. Each year, 300 adults step forward to coach middle school and fifth-grade basketball. Seniors contribute more than 4,000 hours annually at the Elsie Stuhr Senior Center. Adults also volunteer with youth programs, gardening, special events, working with people with developmental disabilities, and park restoration programs.
Adult volunteer opportunities are open to individuals 18 years or older. Many of our programs (those working with children or those with special needs) require background checks.
Advisory
Committee Openings
Are you passionate about your community? Do you enjoy working with others on important issues? Do you believe that your recommendations and input can help create lasting change? If so, you may want to consider joining one of these THPRD advisory committees.
Jenkins Estate Advisory Committee
Find out more about Jenkins Estate. Advisory committee members help plan and assist with fundraising events, maintain historical records, and keep the gardens pristine. To learn more, contact Lynda Myers at 503/629-6355 or lmyers@thprd.org.
Trails Advisory Committee
Find out more about Natural Resources. Advisory committee members play an important role in building community by bringing trails and recreation opportunities to residents throughout the district. For more information, call 503/629-6305.
Nature Park Advisory Committee
Find out more about Tualatin Hills Nature Park. Advisory committee members provide guidance on education, natural resources, and many other issues. Interested applicants should contact Joan Andersen-Wells at janderse@thprd.org or 503/629-6350
Advisory committee members meet once a month with district staff and must live within THPRD boundaries.
Afternoon Tea Hostess
This volunteer position at the Jenkins Estate is on-call and does not have a specific schedule, but general hours are from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Volunteers set décor and tables prior to the event; meet, greet, and seat guests; provide historical information about the Fanno Farmhouse or the Jenkins Estate, serve tea and food, bus tables, and assist with cleanup/breakdown after an event. Volunteers should have general knowledge of food service and customer service. They should also enjoy meeting the public and be neat and professional. For a full job description and volunteer application form, contact Lynda Myers at 503/629-6355 or lmyers@thprd.org.
After-School Programs
Volunteers support staff by providing leadership for youth through physical activities, games, arts, music, dance, computers, homework help, and more. After-school programs take place Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., during the school year at:
Cedar Hills Recreation Center
call Karin Madsen at 503/629-6340
Conestoga Recreation & Aquatic Center
contact Teresa Suyama, tsuyama@thprd.org, 503/629-6313
Garden Home Recreation Center
contact Courtney Finstad, dclub@thprd.org, 503/629-6341
Aquatic Swim Aide
Volunteers work side-by-side in the pool at the Harman Swim Center with people who are recovering from injury or stroke or just have trouble getting around. This is a year-round volunteer opportunity. Call Sabrina Taylor at 503/629-6314.
Developmentally/Physically Limited Swim Instructor
Beaverton Swim Center runs swim instruction programs for people with developmental/physical disabilities year-round. Instructors assist staff in teaching one-on-one lessons to participants who are developmentally disabled/physically limited. Call Sharron Patapoff at 503/629-6312.
Developmentally Disabled Drop-in Recreation Programs
The Elsie Stuhr Center runs a specialized recreation program for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. On Monday evenings from 6 to 8:30 p.m., volunteers assist with dancing, arts and crafts, cooking and a variety of other activities which enhance the socialization skills and personal well-being of these individuals. This is a year-round volunteer opportunity. Call Leilani Galanto at 503/629-6342.
Elsie Stuhr Senior Center
The Elsie Stuhr Center has a variety of volunteer positions available. Drop by the center and ask how you can volunteer. In the meantime, here are some ideas: Bingo, bunco, bridge, center greeter, coffee host/hostess, gift shop, Harvest Bazaar volunteer, Harvest Bazaar committee, Loaves & Fishes, newsletter publication and development, specialized recreation, teachers, Thursday dance host/hostess, and trip leaders. For more information, call the Stuhr Center at 503/629-6342.
Environmental Workdays
For a complete listing of our environmental work parties and how you can volunteer, check out our environmental page or contact Melissa Marcum at 503/629-6305 Ext. 2953 or mmarcum@thprd.org
Gardening at the Historic Jenkins Estate
Volunteers with an interest in gardening may volunteer at the magnificent and historic Jenkins Estate gardens. Needs include pruning, weeding and propagating native plants. Call Jim MacDonald at 503/629-6355.
Habitat Steward
Are you interested in learning restoration techniques that will increase the beauty and ecological health of the Tualatin Hills Nature Park? As a habitat steward volunteer, you will learn to identify native plants, enhance and restore native habitats by monitoring and maintaining specific areas of the park, and meet new people. For more information, contact Melissa Marcum at
503/629-6305 Ext. 2953 or mmarcum@thprd.org.
Internships
A small number of student internships are available with the Park District. For more information, please contact Debra Fife at 503/645-6433 or volunteer@thprd.org.
Interpretive Center Assistant
Work in the Tualatin Hills Nature Park Interpretive Center welcoming visitors, giving information and performing office tasks. This position is an excellent way to meet a wide variety of people, work indoors, and learn about the natural world. For more information, contact Melissa Marcum at 503/629-6305 Ext. 2953 or mmarcum@thprd.org.
Nature Education Assistant
The Nature Education Assistant Program at the Tualatin Hills Nature Park is a great opportunity to help instill a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world. This volunteer position helps with planning and preparation, leading activities, and supervising program participants. For more information, contact Melissa Marcum at 503/629-6305 Ext. 2953 or mmarcum@thprd.org.
Park Watch
Concerned citizens make a difference! Park Watch volunteers act as ambassadors of the Tualatin Hills Nature Park. As a Park Watch volunteer, you will walk or jog the trails, provide information to park visitors, and inform park staff of any problems you may notice. Training is provided. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the park, learn about local wildlife and plants, and help your community. For more information, contact Mike Janin at 503/629-6360 or mjanin@thprd.org.
Preschool Programs
Volunteers support staff in providing a safe, fun-filled, learning environment for preschool-aged children. Preschool programs take place at the centers listed below during the school year. Days and times vary depending on the center.
Cedar Hills Recreation Center
Call Lindsay Bjork at 503/629-6340
Conestoga Recreation & Aquatic Center
Call Teresa Suyama at 503/629-6313
Tualatin Hills Nature Park
Call Elisa Payne at 503/629-6350
Special Events
For a complete listing of our special events and how you can volunteer, check out our special events volunteer page or contact Debra Fife at 503/645-6433 or volunteer@thprd.org.
Sports
Coaches, instructors and support volunteers are needed in the following sports programs:
Basketball Coaches (must be accompanied by an adult if under 18)
Basketball coaches support our fifth-grade and middle school basketball leagues. Volunteers are needed November-March each year. Call the Athletic Center at 503/629-6330.
Basketball Evaluators (must be accompanied by an adult if under 18)
Basketball evaluators determine the skill and ability of the youth and place them on appropriate teams. Volunteers are needed for several evenings during the month of November. Call the Athletic Center at 503/629-6330.
Tennis Instructor
The THPRD Tennis Center conducts a training program for volunteer instructors in spring and fall each year. Participants should play at the 3.0 level and be willing to attend extensive training followed by several months as a volunteer. Call 503/629-6331.
Track & Field Assistant Coaches and Track Meet Officials
Our middle school and open track and field programs take place in spring and early summer each year. No experience is necessary to volunteer as an official. Individuals and groups are welcome to volunteer at one or more track meets. Call Juliana Patrick at 503/629-6340.
Stewardship Leader Training
Do you love your local park? Do you enjoy strolling along a stream bank, or catching a glimpse of a deer as it slips through the trees? If so, we invite you to help us restore our natural areas in the Tualatin River Watershed Basin.
Twice a year, we host a training program for stewardship leaders in which we coach local citizens how to lead others in the effort to protect our natural areas. Leaders receive training on:
- Ecosystems, habitats, watersheds and biodiversity
- Native habitat restoration
- Planning and coordinating a local restoration work party
- Safety, tools and volunteer training
- Plant identification and proper planting techniques
- Removal of non-native plant species
In return for receiving this valuable training, stewardship leaders are asked to commit to leading a minimum of two restoration work projects for a THPRD partner organization each year. For more information, contact Melissa Marcum at 503/629-6305 Ext. 2953 or mmarcum@thprd.org.
Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.
The Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program celebrates the good work of volunteers by giving each of them one-day admission to a theme park at Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free. Sign up for THPD opportunities here: Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.
