Hostelling International - Portland, Northwest
1818 NW Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97209
Ph: (503) 241-2783 Fax: (503) 525-5910
www.2oregonhostels.com

 

Thanks for your interest in volunteering for Hostelling International. Hostelling International-USA is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1934 to promote international understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.

Hostelling is a special kind of travel. Unlike hotels that tend to be isolating and often generic in what they offer, hostels foster meaningful, affordable travel. At Hostelling International we give people the chance to have life-changing experiences through travel using our hostels and programs.

Our philosophy about volunteers: "Volunteers are an essential part of the hostelling movement, playing a key role in sharing their own life experiences and passion for travel with hostellers locally and from around the world. Hostelling International volunteers will be vital contributors to the future of hostelling by providing innovative ideas, resources, and serving as hostelling ambassadors in their local communities." We hope that your experience as a volunteer is just as fun and rewarding as those of our hostellers.

 

Volunteer Experiences and Responsibilities

1. Front Desk Assistant

The majority of work as Front Desk Assistant is done together with the regularly schedule front desk staff. Therefore, guidance and assistance for the volunteer will be provided at all times.

1. Assisting with Check-Ins – greeting guests and helping to register them by looking up their reservation card, checking their ID, and explaining our registration procedure to the guest.

2. Hostel and Map Tours – providing information about the hostel and Portland to each registering guest using a downtown map and giving a short welcome tour of the hostel facilities, suggesting things to do and places to visit, explaining how to use the bus system, etc.

3. Conversation with Travelers – sharing stories and experiences with travelers, taking messages for travelers receiving calls on our guest phone.

1. Special Projects

   Volunteers will be assigned various projects to complete during their volunteer contract period. Projects may be weekly or take the entire period of their contract.

   1. Traveler of the Week – interview a traveler, take their picture with a digital camera, and post their information on our "Traveler of the Week" display board.

   2. Foreign Language Board – assist our staff in creating an information board that translates important information about the hostel and Portland into languages most commonly spoken by our travelers; the volunteer would be expected to aid in designing the board and contributing translations for his/her own native language.

   3. Others – The hostel environment is continually evolving and developing to meet the needs of our traveling guests, therefore, other projects will arise from time to time; in addition, we welcome ideas and suggestions from our volunteers as well.

    

2. Programs and Outings

One of the goals of the hostel’s programs is to share some of Portland’s well-known places, events, and unique aspects of the city. Portland has a great number of things to offer to the visitor, not least of which is the great hospitality of the locals. Ideally, our programs get community members involved in sharing and enjoying the city of Portland with people from across the U.S. and around the world. It is our hope that these group activities will encourage hostellers and locals to learn from one another and gain a greater understanding of the world and its people.

1. Work with hostel staff to develop various programs and outings

2. Coordinate and lead small groups of hostel guests to outings or special programs, ensuring both safe arrival to destination and return to hostel.

3. Create conducive atmosphere for social interaction among travelers.

4. Effectively communicate prepared information to travelers about the event.

Below are some of the programs and outings we have done in the past. As you can see, they don’t need to be complex or involved, just a good time. We are always looking for fresh ideas as well.

 

Annual Events

St. Patrick’s Day

Cinco de Mayo

Portland Rose Festival

• Fireworks

• Starlight Parade

• Grand Floral Parade

• Arts Festival

Fourth of July

Waterfront Blues Festival

Oregon Country Fair

Oregon Brewers Festival

The Bite – A Taste of Portland

Festa Italiana

Homowo Festival of African Arts

Halloween Dress-up and Outing

Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner

December Holiday Potluck Dinner

 

Weekly or Monthly Events

First Thursday Art Walks (first Thursday of each month)

Free Summer Concerts in the Park (in Couch and Wallace Parks)

Forest Park Hikes

Washington Park Outings

Concerts at the Zoo

Downtown Tours and Saturday Market

Northwest Neighborhood Pub Crawls

Brewery Tours

 

Volunteer Qualifications (of willingness to learn):

• Enjoy and be able to talk to people of all ages, races and backgrounds.

• Proficient in reading maps, schedules and various travel resources.

• Effectively communicate information to non-native English speakers.

• Familiarity with Portland, its highlights, and the surrounding Metro area.

• Ability to learn from and interact with people representing cultures from around the world.

Training:

• All volunteers will receive on-shift training. Training will cover the areas mentioned in the Volunteer Qualifications section. We do not expect volunteers to meet all of the qualifications prior to beginning their volunteer work experience at the hostel. That is part of our aim in working with volunteers – to enrich their experience as they will help to do the same for others.

Time Commitment:

Volunteers are expected to work between two to three 2-hour periods per week for a period not less than 2 months.