PDX Resource
Compass
The Navigator Series
1,031+ searchable local resources — and a growing team of Peer Navigators who bring the Compass directly into Portland's most underserved communities. Active outreach, not passive information.
Portland has resources.
Access is the barrier.
Vulnerable residents face four compounding barriers — and a static directory alone addresses only the first.
How a person moves
through the system.
Every interaction follows a four-step model designed to meet people where they are and leave them better equipped to navigate independently next time.
The Navigator
Tier System
Every community member who joins as a General Volunteer can grow into a Navigator Lead or Program Coordinator over time — a clear leadership pathway built into the program design.
We go where
people already are.
The Navigator Series is a recurring circuit of bi-weekly mobile pop-up events — 60–90 minutes each — at high-traffic community locations across Portland. No sign-up required. No clipboards. Just a welcoming table and a navigator ready to help.
Help us bring the
Compass to people.
"A directory tells people where help is. A navigator walks them there."
Peer Navigators are recruited directly from the communities they serve. No social work background required — only lived experience with the barriers the program addresses, and a willingness to walk alongside a neighbor.
We're also actively seeking community organizations, libraries, food pantries, and community centers to host Navigator Series pop-up events. If your space is trusted by underserved residents, we want to bring the Compass there.