Donate Time/Volunteer

Thank you for wanting to help The Pongo Fund. Our award winning and volunteer driven group has helped 211,000 animals and provided 34 million meals to date, giving a chance to animals that might not otherwise have a chance and giving hope to families that have little else to be hopeful for. We have pioneered a new way to save lives, reduce shelter populations and end needless euthanasia by keeping family pets safe at home with their families and out of the shelters. Please note we are unable to respond to all volunteer requests individually but will let you know when opportunities are available.

We have a variety of volunteer roles that include Kibble Packing Team, Pet Food Bank Distribution, Emergency Kibble Response Team, Kibble Courier, Fundraising, Event Planning and more. The first step is to please email us with the following information shown below. Feel free to include anything that you’d like us to know, and that in turn will help us find you the best volunteer position. (We sometimes post community Kibble Pack Events on our Facebook page; these events are open to everyone but fill up fast, so please follow us on Facebook so you can join us then.)

***A note about Kibble Packing***

Kibble Packing is the heart and soul of The Pongo Fund. We’ve provided more than 34 million meals for a couple hundred thousand hungry animals and that’s a good thing. Some 250 other groups both big and small also rely on The Pongo Fund for food and referral, so we stay busy. But please know that volunteering at The Pongo Fund is not to be confused with spending time at a five-star resort. Not a four-star resort either. We’re not a resort at all unless you’re looking for a Kibble Pack Resort, then we’re the ticket.

What we are is a very small and scrappy, not fancy, volunteer driven non-profit organization doing our best to meet a need that keeps growing. We have no heat in winter and we have no AC in summer. Our floor is hard concrete and if you don’t like standing on concrete floors then we’re not the place for you to volunteer. People stand for 2-3 hours at a time packing kibble and while many enjoy it and look forward to coming back, it’s not the perfect fit for everyone. But if someone gets tired we have plenty of chairs for rest, although they’re not luxury massaging chairs and we don’t serve lemon water on a tray. I wish we could, I really do. But that’s not us.

We’ve had Kibblers as young as under three and as old as 100. The young girl tagged along on a group event and found herself having a fantastic time putting kibble in bags. The 100-year-old grandmother  volunteered as part of her bucket list and liked it so much she returned again and told us it was one of the happiest days of her life.

But we’re not fancy and we want to make sure you know that so there’s no confusion. There is no human food allowed inside and all beverages need to be stored safely so they do not spill or leave wet or sticky marks on the kibble packing tables. Food makes crumbs and crumbs draw rodents. But if you do need to bring food just let us know and we’ll set you up in a “crumb free” zone. As for the spilled liquid, that makes messes and those messes make the kibble bags sticky and it’s just not good.

If you don’t have water, we’re happy to share some bottled water. And we’re proud to let you know that our bathroom is clean. Maybe not perfectly clean because we don’t scrub the floor with toothbrushes. But the toilet is clean and all surfaces disinfected and sometimes the toilet paper is extra cushy. But in winter the toilet seat is cold so if a cold toilet seat is not your thing, then we’re not the right place.

But if you want to spend a chunk of time doing something that will leave you humbled, then maybe you’ll enjoy Kibble Packing at The Pongo Fund. In many cases the time flies and you might end up a bit hoarse from laughing because while our work is serious, it seems to bring out a lot of joy. And if you have a dog or a cat you will be very popular when you get home, because they will know where you were.

We share these words so no one is disappointed in the time they spend with us because we want everyone to feel their time spent is both meaningful and enjoyable. And please always feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Please note we will review your volunteer information and reply back when volunteer opportunities are available.

  1. Please tell us your full name, street address, email & telephone number so we can better contact you.
  2. Your general interests? Feel free to be specific.
  3. Your availability? Weekdays…weekends…what’s best for you?
  4. What drew you to The Pongo Fund? Specifically, how did you learn about us?
  5. Do you have pets? If so, please tell us about them.
  6. Your current and previous work and volunteer history?  If you are currently working, please tell us where?  Also, do you have any special talents/skills?
  7. Do you have any physical limitations or other challenges that would restrict or affect your volunteer work?
  8. Are you over or under 25? If younger than 18, please tell us your age.
  9. Have you ever been arrested for a felony? Are there any current legal matters or social issues that would restrict or affect your volunteer work?
  10. Anything else that you think we should know?

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Please note we will review your volunteer information and reply back when volunteer opportunities are available

We also post some volunteer activities on Facebook, so if you are not doing so already please LIKE and follow us there: www.facebook.com/thepongofund

Thank you again from all of us at The Pongo Fund.

The Pongo Fund | PO Box 9000 | Portland OR 97207 | 503-939-7555

info@thepongofund.org (please use this email address for Volunteer information)

www.thepongofund.org

www.facebook.com/thepongofund