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Serve Our City

Jesus is calling us to serve Him on mission for our city. Right here. Right now.

At River West, we believe that every follower of Christ is the recipient of a divine mission. Regardless of where your at in your spiritual journey, we believe you’ve been entrusted with unique gifts, abilities, passions, influence, and resources to serve others and advance Jesus' kingdom. Together, we will see lives changed in extraordinary ways as ordinary folks roll up their sleeves and serve! To find out more about you can get involved in local outreach, fill out a Serve Form or check out our list of ministries we partner with below.

Catalyst Partnerships

Catalyst Partnerships started in September 2007 as an informal grass-roots movement, consisting of a few families and individuals who simply wanted to help neighbors who needed assistance with home repairs due to physical or financial limitations. Today, Catalyst Partnerships inspires people, builds hope, and nurtures the community by bringing together donated resources and caring volunteers to do free critical construction repairs for low-income neighbors. To find out more about upcoming projects contact Jess Gilchrist at giljess@hotmail.com or visit catalystnw.org.

City Team

City Team serves houseless or homeless folks in the Portland Metro area. Their mission is to restore lives and rebuild communities through innovative programs which provide food, shelter, clothing, training, and spiritual transformation.

Ways To Serve: Become a Mentor, Front Desk Support and Hospitality, Prepare and Serve Meals for Night Strike (2nd and 4th Thursdays).

To learn more about how you and your community can engage, contact Pastor Christopher Coffman at chris@riverwest.org or visit cityteam.org/portland.

First Image

First Image exists to live out the heart of God to renew His image in the lives of those who have been impacted by sexual brokenness and abortion.

Ways To Serve: Become a Client Services Advocate, Join the Prayer Team, Help with Cleaning/Laundry at a pregnancy resource center.

To explore ways that individuals, community groups, families, and businesses can get involved at First image click here or contact Luke Cirillo at luke@first-image.org.

Visit Website

Foster Care

There are many ways to support children in foster care and the families who care for them:

  • EVERY CHILD OREGON | In partnership with the Department of Human Services, Every Child PDX connects caring community members with vulnerable children & families impacted by foster care through storytelling, empowering volunteers, raising up new resource parents & supporting foster families.

    Ways To Serve: Become Resource Parents, Join The Neighborhood, Support My NeighbOR, Curate and Deliver Welcome Boxes, Serve the ODHS Staff through Appreciation & Service Projects, Foster Parents Night Out (FPNO).

    To explore ways that individuals, community groups, families, and businesses can get involved contact Pastor Christopher at chris@riverwest.org or click here to fill out a volunteer form.

  • WITH LOVE | Founded by a member of our River West community, With Love provides resources that nurture dignity, hope and community for children ages 0-6 impacted by foster care. They focus on tangible goods, community events, and classes to equip and support foster parents.

    Ways To Serve: Volunteer to wash, inspect, sort, curate + deliver bags of clothing and supplies for resource families.

    To explore ways that individuals, community groups, families, and businesses can serve fill out a volunteer form here or contact Jenn Browning at jen@withloveoregon.org.

HOTEL Ministry

Hotel Ministry exists to share Christ’s love in tangible ways with residents in Portland’s low-income hotels downtown. Volunteers coordinate monthly visitations, providing groceries, prayer support, and loving friendship to residents.

Ways To Serve: Shop for groceries, Help organize food pantry supplies, Join a visitation team.

For more information on how individuals and community groups can get involved with HOTEL Ministry contact Pastor Christopher at chris@riverwest.org.

Lake Oswego Transitional Shelter Ministry

LOTSM operates two apartments right here in our community, providing families transitioning from homelessness to the safety and shelter of a temporary home, where they receive the direct support and services needed to return to self-sufficient living.

Ways To Serve: Become a family mentor, Provide transportation for residents, Assist with childcare, Prepare Meals.

To find out more how you and your community can get involved contact Pastor Christopher at chris@riverwest.org.

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Refugee Care

There are a number of ways to welcome, befriend, and care for the needs of refugees right here in our city:

  • PDX FRIENDS OF REFUGEES | Founded by members of our River West community, PDX Friends of Refugees exists to manifest the love, light, and life of Christ to refugees near and far.

    Ways To Serve: Deliver Furniture, Become a Family Mentor, Volunteer with ESL Classes, Childcare, and more.

    For more information how you, your community group, business, or family can get involved contact Donn Jones at donn@pdxfriendsofrefugees.com.

  • REFUGEE CARE COLLECTIVE | Refugee Care Collective mobilizes the city of Portland, Oregon to serve diverse populations of refugees being resettled in the Portland Metro area, in order to empower refugees to rebuild their lives and step more fully into self-sustainability.

    Ways To Serve: Assemble a Restart Kit, Become a Family Mentor or Youth Mentor, Volunteer at a Restart Collection Day.

    For more information about how you, your community group, business, or family can get involved fill out a volunteer form here or contact Pastor Christopher at chris@riverwest.org.

Road to Hope Maternity Home

Road to Hope focuses on meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of pregnant young women who are caught in a cycle of abuse and poverty. For more information, contact Leona Bicknese at leona@road2hopepdx.org or visit road2hopepdx.org.

Safety Compass

Safety Compass helps survivors of sexual exploitation navigate the path to healing and justice. Their mission is to offer support for commercial sexual exploitation and sex-trafficking survivors navigating the criminal and social justice systems in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon. For more information visit safetycompass.org, or for general inquiries and volunteer application requests email esther@safetycompass.org.

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5 Rock Ranch

5Rock Ranch is about restoring faith, hope, and love to the fatherless and the floundering through Jesus Christ in community. Their 108-acre ranch is located in the beautiful mountains of Yamhill, about 60 miles southwest of Portland.

Ways To Serve: Help with housekeeping/homeschooling, Become a mentor, Help with work projects at the ranch

To learn more about how you and your community can get involved, fill out a volunteer form christy@5rockranch.com.

Visit 5RockRanch Website

Current E-Newsletter

Sign up for “Current,” our monthly email newsletter about what’s going on at River West Church and beyond. From time to time we’ll also send you special announcements and words of encouragement from our pastors.

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