ChrisJGQ

I'm 17, and in history I have to find an organization (non-profit) to volunteer time for. This, ideally, should be an organization I'd be interested in, so I wanted to ask any of you whether there are any atheist organizations in the area. If not, I'll find something else, but this would be ideal, as this is a topic I care for.
I realize that I probably won't be overly useful, as I have no special skills to speak of, and I'm a single person, but any organization that can potential use me for whatever odd jobs are required would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Toto

Oregon has some significant atheist organizations.

The only member of www.atheistalliance.org listed for Oregon is in Eugene. Lane County Secular Society

The II site lists 5 organizations in Oregon, besides the Lane County Secular Society.

Humanists of Greater Portland (Some Humanist groups are religious, but this group appears to be committed to secularism.) I would guess that this group is most likely to have some volunteer opportunities.

The Eugene Round Earth Society

Oregonians for Rationality

The Corvallis Secular Society

and a group called United States Atheists , which is based in Portland.


In addition, Cliff Walker, who started www.positiveatheism.org , is somewhere in Oregon, and could probably use some help, but I don't know if he qualifies as a non-profit organization. You could contact him through the email address on his web site, editor@positiveatheism.org . You could probably do some volunteer computer work for him. He has some significant health problems

keitht

I'm curious: why do you have to "find" an organization to volunteer for? Is volunteering a graduation requirement?

Keith

Corwin

The fact that so many freethought orgs are centered around Eugene is another reason I'm more than slightly considering running home. (That and the fact that Portland's housing market is seriously messed up... and getting worse. It's like they're intentionally modelling themselves after Seattle... at least Eugene is small enough that the Californians haven't seriously messed it up yet.... )

godfry n. glad

Yes, keitht, so many hours of community volunteer time are required by _many_ school districts in Oregon.

As for the suggestions, Toto has covered more bases than I can, but several of the contacts are in Eugene, which is three hours south of Portland, where the question originated.

I'd suggest our inquirer might wish to contact the United States Atheists. If I remember correctly, they're bone fide 501c(3) private non-profit (and non-prophet) organization _and_ they run a community center. Outfits like that can always use another hand or even warm body to keep the center open.

I won't vouch for them, though, I've never been out to the community center on SE 65th and Foster Rd., even though it's a short jaunt from my house.

I'd second the check with the Humanists of Greater Portland, too. I'd wager that they also qualify as bone fide private non-profit organization.

Lastly, I do like what I saw on the positiveatheists site and would suggest that you contact Cliff Walker and ask him, point blank, if they have "private non-profit status with the IRS" (generally, this means 501c(3) status, although other 501 subchapters also qualify...the c(3) designation indicates that donations are tax-deductible.

Eugene's a long way away for a 17-year old trying to meet the requirements for graduation in Portland. So is Corvallis.

Then... Our intrepid student needn't volunteer with an atheist organization. He/she may wish to identify an organization that's nominally theology-free, like, say, Hostelling International, or his/her local neighborhood organization. Portland is replete with these kinds of organizations.

godfry


(hey...Corwin... You know why all the old hippies ended up in Eugene, don't you? - - - There were no jobs.)

Corwin

Pffffffffffffffffffffffft.



(and believe me... I know.... )

penumbra

An actual atheist organization with a 501(c)(3) designation might be hard to find, especially in terms of matching up with your skills. If so, you might consider generally secular organizations like Habitat for Humanity that can always use unskilled volunteer labor.

Also might try: http://www.oregonhumane.com/volunteer.htm

or: http://www.zooregon.org/Volunteer/main.htm

or: http://www.solv.org/volAbout.shtml

Just a few ideas. Good luck!!

godfry n. glad

And... OMSI can always use volunteers.

(Oregon Museum of Science and Industry)

godfry

Corwin

Just for reference, Habitat is most definitely NOT a 'secular' organization.

However, they're the sort of christians most atheists don't have a problem with. (Jimmy Carter christians.... IE the sort that will do like he did and walk out on the southern baptists when they started getting all hellfire and brimstone, racist, and anti-gay.)

keitht

Maybe you could volunteer at a local libertarian organization or the ACLU and work on a project relating involuntary servitude. Maybe you could help out with something relating to the thirteenth amendment.

Keitht