Blanchet House welcomes student volunteers during PPS teachers' strike

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Blanchet House is welcoming students and families affected by the Portland Public Schools teachers' strike to help the community by volunteering with them. They have various ways students can help from home or on-site at their service center in Downtown Portland.

Students aged 13 and under in grades K-8 can help from home or with an affinity group by making sack lunches, assembling care kits, and collecting bottles and cans for refunds.

Meanwhile, students aged 14 and up in grades 9-12 can get their school-required direct service hours by volunteering on-site to serve meals in Blanchet House’s free cafe. They can also become a student ambassador, working on projects that support the mission of Blanchet House and bring spread awareness.

"We're always open to having more help around, especially high school students, a lot of whom need their service hours," said Jon Siebert, the Director of Programs at Blanchet House. "And one of the great things about our service is we do our free meals to the public, but then anyone who volunteers also gets a meal. So it's a nice way for folks to get that taken care of."

Learn more about how students can volunteer with Blanchet House here.