Season of Service

coordinated on web

  PORTLAND — The Season of Service partnership among city governments, service agencies and the church community has launched a web site to identify and provide resources to service projects for the homeless, the hungry, the medically uninsured, the impoverished, the environment and the public schools.
    The site — www.portlandcityfest.com/season_of_service — was created to manage the many projects that will be implemented through Season of Service during the spring and summer. In its first few days of operation, the site posted more than 30 service projects designed to assist the homeless; clean up schools, neighborhoods and parks; and provide medical and dental services to the uninsured.
   Churches, service agencies and individuals are encouraged to use the site, created by the Portland-based Luis Palau ministry, to create, manage and recruit for their own projects and to volunteer for the projects of others. Current partners include the cities of Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro and Vancouver; the Portland Trailblazers; SOLV; and Wells Fargo Bank.
    With the theme “Love-Serve-Celebrate,” thousands of volunteers from the area’s diverse faith community are expected to participate. Included will be a pilot project created in cooperation with Portland Mayor Tom Potter’s office called the Home Again Mentoring Program; in February, Potter issued a mayoral declaration calling 2008 “The Year of Season of Service.”
   The projects began in April and will run throughout the summer leading up to Portland CityFest 2008 with Luis Palau, to be staged at Waterfront Park on Aug, 22 and 23. The free, family-friendly festival will include top musical artists, a family fun zone, action sports, and free health and family services.