Opportunities From: Willamalane Park and Recreation District

Join us for this monthly volunteer opportunity at Willamette Heights Park where dedicated volunteers make a difference to save trees, protect water quality and improve habitat. No experience necessary!

This takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of every month 9:30am - 12pm. To sign up, "respond" to each date below you plan to attend. In your response notes, please indicate your dietary needs so that we may provide pizza accordingly (if blank, we will assume you don't have any dietary needs).

Volunteers lend a hand by using basic tools to remove invasive vegetation, especially targeting English Ivy, and protect the scenic park with spectacular views. Instruction and tools will be provided. 

Volunteers under age 16 and/or parents of youth volunteers, contact Volunteer Coordinator maggie.odriscoll@willamalane.org or 541-852-8766 to respond to this opportunity as volunteers under age 16 may be approved on an individual basis.

Willamette Heights Park is located at 508 Valley View Avenue, Springfield, OR. For the exact location, follow this link for a pin location.

Are you fun and social? Enjoy leading our Game Time (Get-Together-Pass) group where the community meets in the afternoon to play a variety of games in break out groups. We are looking for a volunteer who is lively and encouraging who can keep our game cabinet up to date as well as share interests for new games! Game Time meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 1-3:30pm. 

Willamalane's Haunted Hayride is a one-of-a-kind interactive theater experience that celebrates the fall season at Dorris Ranch. Participants enjoy fun activities before boarding a trailer for their ride through the orchards. Volunteers support by directing guests, leading crafts, and more! Volunteers at Haunted Hayride help to ensure a memorable experience for all who attend.

Put your green thumbs to work for a good cause helping to plant, maintain, and harvest a large garden at Lively Park that supports Willamalane's food pantry. Early in the season, volunteers help around the garden and clear, fertilize, and plant the 40x40-foot plot. Then, we’ll maintain the plot and clear weeds until harvest time. Join us for one shift or respond multiple shifts throughout the season. To sign up, "respond" to each date below you plan to attend.

If the spots are full, you are encouraged to click on "waitlist" to secure a volunteer spot if one opens up.

Be sure to click "next" in the bottom right corner of the shift schedule below to see the full schedule of available shifts.

Please bring:

We’ll provide:

Getting here:

The community garden is located at Lively Park. Drive in the park entry and head around toward the back of the Splash! building. Park near the play structure and dog park. Then walk along the path north of the dog park and meet us at the community garden.

Schedule:

We plan to spend Tuesday mornings in the garden during the early season. In mid-summer we will add Thursday's to the schedule for harvesting. The schedule is subject to change based on seasonal needs and weather conditions. Volunteers should be sure to check your email for important volunteer information and will be notified via email in the event of cancelation.

Youth Volunteers:

Volunteers under age 16 and/or parents of youth volunteers, contact Volunteer Coordinator to respond to this opportunity and make arrangements. Volunteers under age 16 may be approved to volunteer independently on an individual basis. Youth volunteers may volunteer with parent supervision/participation and prior arrangement with Volunteer Coordinator is needed. 

How to contact the Volunteer Coordinator:

Email maggie.odriscoll@willamalane.org or call 541-852-8766.

The Fitness Expo will take place on Saturday, February 7th!

Volunteer to support the Fitness Expo! Volunteer responsibilities include supporting event set up and take down, prep and serve food (food handlers card preferred) and engaging with the community. Volunteers should anticipate standing for long periods of time and light duties. Volunteers should wear comfortable shoes for standing and bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. Volunteers are welcome to attend the complimentary fitness classes as well.

The Friday shift is for helping with setup, and the Saturday shift roles include event setup, preparing and serving food, and event breakdown.

To volunteer, "respond" to the shift below that you plan to help with and include any additional information in the response notes section and Willamalane program staff will follow up with you. If the spots are full, you are encouraged to click on "waitlist" to secure a volunteer spot if one opens up.

Please help support the sign-up process for our Adult Activity Center pantry! This operates on a first-come, first-served basis for patrons to put their name down. Duties will include putting cones out for the designated area, monitoring lobby line-up and assisting people with registration in the pantry book for their spot. We are looking for a welcoming and kind person that is comfortable in communicating the process and sharing procedures.

On Thursdays from July 10 -September 25 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Toddler Time is a fun event where kids ages 1-6 enjoy various activities including a mobility circuit, arts and crafts, a dance party, social time, and healthy snacks.

Volunteers should be patient, kind, encouraging and have a fun attitude with children. Volunteers will help in the following roles: food preparation/serving (one volunteer, food handlers card preferred) and room support, floating between the baby play zone and toddler imagination play space, helping to keep things toys managed and organized (2 volunteers). All volunteers will help set-up and break-down the space including lifting items like small tables, chairs and toys.

To volunteer, "respond" to the shift below that you plan to help with and please indicate your role preference in the response. Willamalane program staff will follow up with you. If the spots are full, you are encouraged to click on "waitlist" to secure a volunteer spot if one opens up.

Join us and members of the Springfield Twin Rivers Rotary for the fall service project to beautify the garden beds and help with landscaping around the Bob Keefer Center on Saturday, September 27th from 9:00 – 11:00am. This seasonal effort helps the facility grounds look beautiful for the community to enjoy in autumn!

Please arrive at the Bob Keefer Center, 250 S 32nd St, Springfield, OR 97478. The project will involve activities like weeding or mulching and more around focal areas around the facility grounds.

We will provide the tools, work gloves as well as light refreshments. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gardening gloves if you have them, a refillable water bottle for drinking water and to dress comfortably for outdoors/gardening activity.

Trick or Treat! Volunteers will place sugar cookies into Halloween-themed bags for handout at Haunted Hayride. We look forward to a fun and festive time stuffing cookie bags together on Monday, October 13 from 10am to 2pm at the Willamalane Adult Activity Center. Lunch will be provided. In your response notes please indicate any dietary needs. If none specified, we will assume you do not have any dietary needs.

Don't you just love pumpkins this time of year? Each year we carve over 400 pumpkins for Willamalane's annual Haunted Hayride event, and we would be glad to have your help! Your pumpkins will contribute to the holiday spirit and be on display when they line the trails for the event!

The volunteer shifts are 9:30am - 1:00pm and 12:30pm - 4:00pm with lunch time included for both shifts at 12:30pm. Lunch, carving tools and pumpkins are provided.

To sign up, click "Respond" to the volunteer shift below and Willamalane staff will follow up with you. In your response notes, please indicate your dietary needs so that we may provide lunch accordingly (if blank, we will assume you don't have any dietary needs).

Would you like to help community members learn and practice new cooking skills? Culinary Volunteers will assist the instructor in preparing for the class including set-up, food preparation and clean-up as well as assisting participants during class as directed by the instructor or staff. Culinary classes have about 5 - 12 participants and prepare a variety of menu items. 

A Culinary Volunteer will:

To sign up to volunteer, "respond" to the shift (listed below) you want to help with and Willamalane staff will follow up with you. Volunteers are welcome to sign up for multiple and back-to-back shifts.

For more information on the culinary classes including the cooking class calendar and menus, visit the Food section of our Adult Classes page.

The Turkey Stuffer 5K is a community tradition.

Participants run or walk a flat course that loops through a beautiful and quiet residential neighborhood.

Volunteers support as course marshals, race support, serving food for after the race, awards and more! 

Help support the Turkey Stuffer event!
Volunteers will assist in handing out race packets and registering participants to Turkey Stuffer 5k. 

Packet pick-up shifts are available on Tuesday, November 26th and Wednesday, November 27th. 
To sign up, click "Respond" to the volunteer shift below. 

Snacks and drinks will be provided. On Wednesday, lunch and dinner will be provided
at noon to volunteers whose shift ends or starts at that time.

Welcome and greet our community patrons to our little food pantry inside the Adult Activity Center. Stock and put away fresh vegetables and produce, shelf stable and canned goods and toiletries, with a focus on providing the summer produce harvest from Willamalane's Food Pantry Garden. Duties will also include: tidy and clean refrigerators and shelves, compost, recycle and break down boxes as needed, sweep and empty any trash.

On Thursdays over the summer the pantry is available to the community from 12pm - 1pm and the volunteer shifts are 10:30am - 1:30pm.

Calling all hiking enthusiasts! Join us in introducing the community to hiking in Oregon's wonderful outdoors. Hike volunteer leaders will assist Willamalane staff on moderate to strenuous hikes with check in, help "sweep" the hiking group, and may also contribute to choosing hike locations. All hikes will meet in the Bob Keefer lobby and depart and return from there.

Multiple hikes are offered over May - August. To volunteer, "respond" to the hiking shift below that you plan to help with and Willamalane program staff will follow up with you. If the spots are full, you are encouraged to click on "waitlist" to secure a volunteer spot if one opens up.

The hike locations are as follows:

Silver Falls - May 17
Mary's Peak - June 7
Clear Lake - June 21
Dee Wright Observatory & Proxy Falls - July 19
Alsea Falls & Green Peak Falls - July 26
Cape Perpetua - August 16
Santiam Wagon Road - August 23, 2025
Waldo Lake-September 13
Wizard Falls-September 27
Sahalie & Koosah Falls-October 11

SHIBA is the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program of Oregon. Medicare beneficiaries, their family members, and representatives can call a trained SHIBA counselor to get free, unbiased help with their questions about coverage, options, appeals, and more.

As a volunteer counselor, you will receive about 40 hours of comprehensive, supporting training so you can provide one-on-one Medicare counseling and assistance. You'll answer questions about Medicare Parts A & B, Medicare supplemental insurance, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D prescription plans, and programs to help with Medicare costs. You'll also attend monthly meetings and receive ongoing training opportunities to stay on top of the latest and greatest in Medicare.

This is an incredibly satisfying opportunity where you'll provide compassionate help - and instant relief - to people navigating a complicated system.