RtR Community,
Happy Labor Day!
There are some big changes happening with Respond to Racism. Namely, we have expanded our scope from Lake Oswego to Clackamas County and will be moving back to an all-volunteer operation going forward.
To address the first change, this is less of a shift and more of an official acknowledgement that RtR has always depended on
contributions from outside of LO and over the years, our activities and collaborations have taken us throughout Clackamas County. With that said, while we’re expanding our scope, we’re also consolidating our programming to focus on what has the most impact and makes sense for volunteer capacity. Community members have been clamoring for the return of the monthly meetings, so that is where RtR will be focusing its energy. We hope these meetings can be a one-stop shop where community members don’t
just come to hear a speaker or take a training, but also build relationships with each other, share resources and inform each other about direct actions happening throughout the county. To that end, we are recruiting volunteers to help with the regular planning of these monthly meetings
and some of the different areas you can plug in include 1) sharing dishes for the potluck, 2) being a facilitator for breakout sessions, 3) providing onsite de-escalation support and, of course, 4) helping book speakers and select topics.
This brings me to the second big change, which is that I will be stepping down as Executive Director of RtR. It has been an honor to serve, not just in this role, but in helping build this organization in various capacities over the last 8
years. With that said, it’s also time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life. I’ve made an agreement with the RtR Board to continue in a limited capacity through the end of the year to assist with seeing through the artist selection process for our public art installation at the LO Library, our upcoming Give Guide campaign and board recruitment. All other RtR business will revert back to where it started, an all-volunteer, community-driven approach.
In addition
to recruiting for help with the monthly meetings, RtR is also looking for volunteers who can specifically help with fundraising and recruiting. On the fundraising front, the organization could especially use help with sustaining and increasing monthly giving, corporate matching and gala
planning. In terms of recruiting, RtR gets invited to table at a number of events and could use volunteers to field those requests and coordinate staffing for the RtR booth. The org also needs more help building relationships and creating opportunities to speak with other nonprofits, in classrooms and other settings where RtR can connect with community members who might be interested in the org but don’t yet know it exists.
If any of the above activities interests you, please
fill out this very brief volunteer interest survey. RtR will be holding a volunteer info session on Saturday, September 20 from
3-5pm (doors open at 3, main program begins at 3:30) if you would like to learn more in person.
