BWNA values its many neighborhood volunteers, including board and committee members and those who can help only occasionally. In this edition, we’d like to introduce you to Liz Erickson, volunteer writer for BWNA’s newsletter team.
How long have you lived in the neighborhood, and what motivated you to start volunteering for the BWNA newsletter?
We moved to the neighborhood in spring 2009. I worked part-time, so was able to stay home with our 2 year old. I saw a call for newsletter deliverers in a BWNA newsletter and was compelled to reach out. I had time to offer and was out and about in the neighborhood daily with my toddler, so why not deliver newsletters at the same time? Later, while biking or jogging around and after completing Metro’s Master Recycler program, I noticed garbage and recycling carts set out, and I’d think, “The truck can’t service those carts set so close together,” or “Those garden hoses shouldn’t be in the recycling cart,” and “I ought to write something for the newsletter.” It turns out, Al Ellis, BWNA newsletter editor at the time, was open to the idea of me writing articles on sustainability and recycling.
Of the articles you’ve written, which is your favorite?
In the September-October 2021 newsletter, I wrote about Ridwell, a subscription recycling service, when it got started in Portland. I’m still often asked questions about it, such as how it works and my opinion of the service.
What would you tell others who are considering volunteering?
Why wait? What’s great about volunteering for the neighborhood — whether it’s serving on the board, joining a committee, helping with a project, or writing for the newsletter — any time and effort you contribute is appreciated. I’ve met wonderful fellow volunteers who are also my neighbors. I like learning more about where I live — the people, the history, the places, the stories. Engagement at the local level is an action most people can take that improves our quality of life and enriches our sense of community
Polly Webber is a real estate agent with Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s. Born and raised in Beaumont-Wilshire, she lives in the home her grandparents once owned, next door to the house she grew up in — where her mother still lives — making her a lifelong member of our close-knit community.