Volunteering and Interning at Multnomah County
Multnomah County invites you to be a vital part of the County's programs, services, and advisory bodies. Community members volunteer their time each day to make Multnomah County a great place to live! Each department and many programs run their own volunteer program - see below for links to volunteer and internship pages. Many programs funded by the County are run by nonprofit community organizations and, as a result, volunteer opportunities can be facilitated by the nonprofits as well. We recommend community members look into volunteering at the nonprofit(s) by contacting them directly. A list of volunteer opportunities in Multnomah County and surrounding areas can be found at Hands On Greater Portland.
Volunteer Opportunities
Advisory Groups (all departments): use your knowledge, skills, and experiences to inform County policies and practices. Some boards or commissions are also empowered to make decisions or recommend changes to voters. See the individual committee, board, or commission page for more information.
Animal Services (MCAS) Volunteer Opportunities: support the animals and staff at the shelter by dog walking, cleaning, assisting with adoptions, or other shelter tasks. Volunteer foster homes for shelter animals are also needed!
Community Justice (DCJ) Volunteer Opportunities : volunteer programs and internships available - opportunities include administrative and research roles as well as direct service and support of both adults and juvenile divisions.
County Human Services (DCHS) Volunteer Opportunities: volunteer and internship programs available in the Aging, Disabilities, and Veterans Services Division, Developmental Disabilities Division, and Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) program.
Emergency Management Volunteer Opportunities: volunteer roles available in administration, outreach and education, research, and emergency response.
Library Volunteer Opportunities: tutoring, literacy, and teen/youth (grades 4-12) council roles available - check back regularly for updates or ask at your local library!
Sheriff's Office (MCSO) Volunteer Opportunities: volunteer and internship opportunities available in administration, group facilitation, program support and more. See site for updated opportunities.
Internship opportunities
Many of the volunteer pages above also offer internship opportunities - find those above under "volunteer opportunities"Health Department Internships (Year-Round): offers paid and unpaid internships to students enrolled in a high school, college, or technical program and studying in fields related to Health Department program services. Nursing and dental clinical placements are arranged through your school's coordinator.
College to County Summer Internships: provides college students who are entering their Sophomore, Junior, or Senior year, or one year removed from graduation, and who are from underrepresented communities with paid summer 12 week internships (June-August) in Multnomah County departments and offices.
Summerworks: for interns ages 16 - 24, and placements are available in Multnomah County and other local government and non-governmental agencies. This paid internship provides interns with mentorship and training as they work on projects.
Multnomah County Elections
Multnomah County Elections Department uses paid election workers for all processing and monitoring and does not have volunteer opportunities available. If you are interested in becoming an on-call elections worker you can find more information here. Questions? Reach out to Scotty Sherington for more information: scotty.sherington@multco.us or call the main line for the elections division at: (509) 988-VOTE
If you still have questions or would like more assistance contacting a volunteer or internship program, please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form or contact the Office of Community Involvement!
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