Soapstone's next annual work day will be in late spring 2010.

Everyone is welcome! We’ll be making kindling and starter logs for next winter from branches that fell during the severe winter storms, weeding and transplanting in the native plant restoration area, and clipping overhanging plans along the trails. The work requires no skills and everyone works at her or his own pace, choosing what feels comfortable to do.

If anyone has special skills we can probably use them (electrical, carpentry, etc.). Let us know in your email. We’ll start at 11 and have a potluck dinner at around 5. Carpooling will be facilitated. Please email Ruth at retreats@soapstone.org if you can come or want more information. We’ll send more detailed information to those who let us know they are coming.

Volunteers have played a crucial role in creating Soapstone. Hundreds of women and men have worked on the property. In the early days, they helped demolish parts of the old structure and salvage reusable materials. Later, they shingled the exterior of the new additions and, more recently, repaired the front gates and fitted out a tool closet. They have stacked wood, blazed trails, cut berries, washed windows, and cheerfully taken on whatever piece of maintenance needed attention at the time.

From time to time we have an impromptu work day. This will be announced on the weekly email announcement list. If you would like to be notified separately, let us know.

If you have special skills such as carpentry, or are good a general repairs we'd love to have you come out when it's convenient for you. We always have things that need attention.

In Portland, hundreds of others have helped with fundraising mailings, put on fundraisers, solicited raffle items, sold raffle tickets, done routine office and database work, helped us solve computer and software problems, and taken on many other tasks.

If you have time to donate we would love for you to join us. Send us an email at retreats@soapstone.org.