SOLVE ‘makes it easy’ to be event leader

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — About four years ago, during the pandemic, Rachal Royce was looking for ways to volunteer to help make Portland better.

“SOLVE had a great reputation and was well-publicized. So I started attending events and have been going to about an event every week or two that I’m in town since then,” she told KOIN 6 News. It’s a way she gets to know different neighborhoods of the city, residential and business groups “and my way to get out of the house on the weekend.”

Then she discovered how “easy SOLVE makes it for individuals in the community to host events. For the one I hosted, it was really easy to visit their headquarters, get the supplies, go to my event, coordinate the trash pickup.”

Royce said there’s generally between 15-30 people at an event and they usually collect “30 to 50 bags of garbage and it goes quick. We’re usually only out there for about an hour-and-a-half, so easy thing to get up and get there and make a difference.”

She said she only led one event so far but is looking to do more of them.

“It is really easy for those that are interested in the community to lead their own events,” she said. “There’s been a lot going on in our city and it’s easy to feel like you don’t know how to be a part of the solution. SOLVE makes it really easy.”