Volunteer · Bloom Swap
Sort days, swap days, drivers. Bring a Saturday.
Bloom Swap volunteers work in Portland, Salem and wherever a swap is set. Sort days get the clothing ready, swap days welcome people in, and drivers move the racks. You do not need experience, and you do not need to be anyone in particular. You need to keep a few rules, and to tell us what works for you.
What it is
Volunteer at a clothing swap in Portland or Salem.
Volunteering at Bloom Swap means clothes in your hands and people treated well in front of you.
A Bloom Swap is a free clothing swap for trans and nonbinary people and anyone who needs clothes that fit. It works because the room is ready and the people in it are kind and quiet. Volunteers make both true. Some sort and fold in the weeks before; some greet and re-hang on the day; some drive the racks there and back.
No experience is needed. What is asked is that you keep the conduct rules below, every time, and that you tell us honestly what you can do. Standing, lifting, sensory needs and time are all things Bloom plans roles around; say so when you sign up, and the role is fitted to you rather than you to the role.
Bloom Ministries has volunteer roles beyond Bloom Swap too. Volunteering with Bloom lists them.
Choose one, or all three
Three roles. Each one matters on the day.
Choose the one that sounds like you. The form lets you tick more than one.
A sort day is the easiest place to start. It happens in the weeks before a swap, away from the public, at long tables alongside other volunteers. You open bags, check each piece against the standard, set aside what cannot be worn, and fold or hang the rest by size and category. At the end of it you can see the racks you made ready.
A swap day is about the guests. You greet, you hand out bags, you re-hang, and you leave people to browse unless someone asks for help. Driving is the most practical of the three: the racks go into the van the day before and come back the day after.
Conduct
The rules every volunteer keeps. Every time, for everyone.
Every volunteer agrees to these on the form, before a first shift. They exist to protect guests, and they hold for everyone in the room.
- No photographs of guests. Ever, by anyone, for any reason.
- No comments on bodies or choices. Not a compliment, not a question, not a look. What someone takes is their business.
- Name tags with pronouns. Volunteers wear them. Guests are never asked for theirs, or for a name.
- Guests are never asked anything. Not why they came, not who the clothes are for, not where they live. If a guest asks for help, help; otherwise, let them browse.
- Come unscented if you can. It is a request rather than a rule, for guests who react to fragrance.
These are the same rules every host agrees to for the two days of a swap, and the same ones set out on the safety page that guests read before they come.
What it asks of your time
When and where.
Volunteer dates follow swaps, and swaps are set with each host at least sixty days ahead.
You sign up
The name you use, one way to reach you, your nearest city and the roles you want.
A date is set near you
When a swap or sort day is set, you hear by email at least two weeks ahead, with the address, the hours and the role plan.
You choose
Say yes to the dates that work for you.
You come
On the day, you are shown the role and told who the designated volunteer is: the person anyone speaks to if something is wrong.
The form
Sign up.
The name you use, one way to reach you, your nearest city, the roles you want, and anything we should know to make it work for you.
We keep what you send only as long as we need it to help you, and never sell or share it. Or write to swap@bloomministries.org.
The form asks you to agree to the conduct rules above. We write when a swap or sort day is set near you, at least two weeks ahead. We keep what you tell us only as long as we need it, and we never sell or share it.
FAQ
Questions volunteers ask
Still asking? Write to swap@bloomministries.org and a person answers.
Do I need experience, or to be anyone in particular?
No. You need to keep the conduct rules and to tell us what you can do. Trans and nonbinary volunteers are welcome, and so is anyone who will treat guests well.
How long is a shift?
It depends on the swap and the role, and you are told in the role plan at least two weeks ahead. Say on the form if you can only give part of a day.
What if I cannot stand for long, or lift?
Tell us on the form. Greeting can be done seated, sorting can be done at a table, and roles are planned around people rather than the other way around.
Can I volunteer with a group from my congregation or workplace?
Yes. Each person signs up and agrees to the conduct rules; mention the group when we reply and we will plan the day with you together.
Volunteer
Bring a Saturday.
Sign up once. When a swap or sort day is set near you, you hear at least two weeks ahead, with the role plan.
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