Get Involved
How to get involved
Loving Our Neighbors
Every year, many refugees and students move to Portland from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We are called to serve our neighbors by welcoming people from all around the world into our homes and hearts.
- Partner with us in serving our neighbors from around the world!
- Teach Conversational English to refugees!
- Tutor individual students in literacy!
- Prepare an immigrant for a U.S. citizenship class!
- Teach an immigrant how to drive!
- Learn about the culture and beliefs of our neighbors as you build valued relationships.
Crucial Needs
Our neighbors arrive in the United States with many practical needs. They need to learn English, get a job, learn to drive, and meet basic needs of food and housing in order to adjust to their new world. They are often hurt and lonely. When we meet these basic needs, we can build friendships that last a lifetime. In January of 2007, several local families established a place where practical needs could be met named, “The Pamoja House”. “Pamoja” is the Swahili word for “Together”. We desire that all people will “come together” to truly serve and care for one another through the Pamoja House.
Your Response
In response to the crucial needs of this community, we currently specialize in ESL, tutoring, driver’s education, computer and citizenship classes. With the high level of personal interaction, small class size, and caring volunteer staff, Pamoja House prides itself on its community building through mainly focusing on the personal needs of our individual students. Understanding the people, their culture and what we have in common.
We show love by understanding and helping to realize our neighbor’s hopes and dreams.
How to get started:
- Consider how your talents can serve and love those people in Portland from around the world.
- Attend a volunteer training offered biannually.
- Show love by trying to better understand your neighbor’s worldview, hopes, and dreams.
- Ask about practical ways that your resources and gifts can help them realize their dreams.