Ways To Get Involved

Mission Statement: "350PDX is made up of a handful of staff, a dedicated Board of Directors, and over 100 volunteers. Our campaigns focus on 3 areas: climate justice policy, forest defense, and fossil fuel resistance.
So much of the work that 350PDX does—and the successes we achieve—revolves around and depends upon community. Together, we organize and host monthly Action Nights, advocate at City Hall and at the capitol, facilitate forums for city officials to engage with constituents, lead tours of the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub & Portland Harbor, create impactful art/media that educates and inspires, and march with our awe-inspiring, larger-than-life puppets at several events each year–including Portland’s Mardi Gras on Mississippi Ave! We do much of our work through coalition and partnership with local, regional, and national groups, and aim for all our work to be by and for the community."

I added 350PDX to this list because they take a strategic, grassroots approach to climate organizing that complements the youth energy of groups like PYCS. They’ve built lasting local coalitions that push for real policy wins in city and state government. I appreciate their educational resources and commitment to centering marginalized voices in the climate movement. Partnering with them feels like a way to bridge generations in activism.

Mission Statement: "APANO unites Asians to build power, develop leaders, and advance equity through organizing, advocacy, community development and cultural work. We envision a just world where Asians and communities who share our aspirations and struggles have the power, resources, and voice to determine our own futures, and where we work in solidarity to drive political, social, economic, and cultural change."

APANO’s work is both deeply political and culturally rooted, and they’ve built a model of organizing that uplifts stories and lived experiences as tools for change. As someone who values representation and intersectionality, I admire how they advocate for education equity, economic justice, and racial solidarity. I included them because they remind me of the power of building political homes for specific communities. Their success shows what happens when policy meets identity and pride.

Mission Statement: “The Black Educational Achievement Movement (BEAM) operates as a ‘Sankofa Village’ model. Where a collective of Black educational service providers and Black professionals in both the public and private sectors are committed to reaching back to help our youth, by challenging the insistent disregard of the hopes, dreams and achievements of Black students in the public and private classrooms. Hence, BEAM unites an intergenerational cross section of culturally-proficient community-based organizations that have bridged their years of expertise to elevate and acknowledge youth of African descent who are in pursuit of middle school, high school and post-secondary educational attainment that will prepare them for the globe marketplace.”

BEAM has helped many of Portland’s Black youth reinforce a strong community while also preparing them for the global marketplace. I know many girls who attend their event annually and have nothing but appreciation and kind words for the event.

Mission Statement: “We promote well-being and advance equity by providing inclusive health and wellness services for LGBTQ+ people, people affected by HIV, and all those seeking compassionate care.”

I chose this organization because they advocate for accountability, justice, inclusion, and health and wellness services for LGBTQ+ people.

Mission Statement: "Don’t Shoot Portland is an arts and education organization that promotes social justice and civic participation. Our year-round programming allows us to advocate for community members facing racism and discrimination by providing legal representation and direct advocacy. Since our inception in 2016, Don’t Shoot Portland has hosted its own dialogues, community forums and workshops focusing on history, archiving and social culture. The art proponent of our work acts as a communicative tool to facilitate discussions about race in America while providing educational assets to those most affected by discrimination in public policy."

Don’t Shoot PDX has consistently shown what it means to lead with integrity, art, and accountability in the fight for racial justice. Their protests, legal actions, and youth programs are grounded in lived experience and community care. I included them because political engagement must always be tied to anti-racism and local liberation work. They challenge me to not only advocate for justice, but to imagine what safety actually looks like in our city.

Mission Statement: “Create a powerful online petition in just a few minutes. No technical knowledge is needed to start your online petition and make real change. Just click the button above and you'll be ready to start collecting signatures right away. iPetitions: The best online petition tools on the Internet.”

I’m linking this petition site because I believe this tool is easy to use, whether you want to create a petition (for free) or look up petitions/topics you want to protest.

Mission Statement: “Since 2018, we've mobilized millions of young people to demand what is rightfully ours: A future free of gun violence. We've won 250+ lifesaving laws since March For Our Lives was founded, and we're just getting started.”

Gun violence in the U.S. is a serious matter that the government needs to take a more serious note of. I believe March For Our Lives makes a real difference in creating awareness about the subject and creating change.

Mission Statement: “PYCS is committed to amplifying the next generation of youth to lead our city in the fight for climate justice.”

I chose to add PYCS here as I am familiar with the organization and know numerous people who have attended their climate strikes. PYCS never fails to host organized strikes for everyone.

Mission Statement: “Portland Street Response, a program within Portland Fire & Rescue, assists people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises.” https://www.portland.gov/streetresponse

Linked above is the Portland Government’s page on PSR. Linked below is the Portland Street Response page and a link on their page to sign a petition to save it. I chose this because Portland Street Response has helped many people citywide and is an extremely accessible resource our city needs.

Mission Statement: "Voz believes that sustainable and transformative social justice work must be led by the communities most affected. At Voz, we model this philosophy by striving to be a fully worker-led organization, and by empowering Portland day laborers not just through economic opportunities, but through opportunities to become leaders in their community. The day laborer community is a diverse group of leaders and organizers from around the world, who bring their skills, knowledge and life experiences to our struggle for a better future for immigrant workers in Portland."

I chose VOZ because labor and immigration justice are deeply connected to civic power, especially for youth from immigrant families. Their organizing uplifts day laborers—people often excluded from mainstream political conversations. VOZ's grassroots model and direct advocacy efforts remind me that democracy includes everyone, not just voters. They help PDX Future Voters think critically about who our system leaves out and how to fight for them.

Mission Statement: “The mission of Women’s March is to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change. Women’s March is a women-led movement providing intersectional education on a diverse range of issues and creating entry points for new grassroots activists & organizers to engage in their local communities through trainings, outreach programs and events. Women’s March is committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect.”

Protests for women’s rights are widely popular, and I believe Women’s Marches is one of the most transformative organizations. They have rallied large groups of people to advocate for a system that values equality for all.