Preparing to Come on Staff

You’re in for a treat. Western Oregon is beautiful! Salem, the capital city, is found in the Willamette Valley between the Cascade Mountain Range and the Oregon coast. The YWAM Salem campus is set on 35 acres of partially wooded land and bisected by a quiet stream, and conveniently situated right off the interstate 5 freeway. We are located 15 minutes south of downtown Salem in a rural area of rolling hills, fir trees, and green pastures. Salem is a medium sized city with a safe, smaller town feel. We are only 4 miles from the nearest store and about an hour from Portland and the Oregon Coast!

The temperature stays moderate year round, but with definite seasons. September and October are often warm (from 55-70F), but November through February can be cold (from 20-50F). The springtime months of March through May are sunny and cool (from 55 to upper 60’s F). Summer begins gradually but June through August is pleasantly hot and dry (70-80F, highs reach the 90-100F). Most of the year, rain is a common part of our day; we have frequent rain showers that keep the Pacific Northwest lush and green.

Here’s our recommended packing list:

• Work clothes – old jeans, t-shirts, etc. (at least one outfit for outdoor work projects)
• Nicer set of clothing for church and other events
• Casual clothing – for class time and other events
• Modest pajamas (You will have roommates!)
• Rain attire – jacket/coat, umbrella, rain boots/waterproof shoes (October-June it rains frequently)
• Bedding – sheets (twin for singles/queen for couples), pillow, blanket or comforter
• Towel and washcloth
• Personal toiletries/Medicines (shampoo, conditioner, prescribed medicine, allergy, Tylenol, etc.)
• Headlamp
• Cameras, laptops, reading devices (Kindle, iPad, etc.)
• Anything you use for personal hobbies (paints, sports equipment, musical instrument, etc.)
• Bible, books, journals, writing utensils
• Spending Money: There may be some additional costs after you arrive on campus. Some examples include: quarters to pay for laundry, and money to purchase personal toiletries/necessities, outreach gear, snacks, and entertainment.

We have mailboxes here on campus and will assign you one once you arrive. Luckily our mail system is casual so you don’t even need to include your mailbox number, just your name and the address of the base!

No, actually most of our staff live off campus. Which is why we have weekly staff events to allow our staff to come together regularly. 

Yes! We want to work with you for whatever date works best for you to join our community. 

Yes! We encourage students to bring cars because we are not in walking distance of any major stores. We also want you to explore Oregon on the weekends! We also have long term parking available so your car can be stored safely while on outreach.

Yes! We have a limited amount of hospitality rooms available for $10 a night per person. Those are great for your friends and family to come stay with us! You can book online by visiting YWAM Salem’s website link to “Hospitality”. It is a good idea to book far in advance, as these rooms fill up quickly. There are also plenty of hotels nearby that are a good option as well.

After you are accepted onto staff we will mail you an acceptance packet which will have our accounting forms in it. Once these are filled out and mailed back our fantastic Accounting department will set up your account and our Personnel department will send you instructions on how to set up recurring payments or one time donations with your supporters. 

• If you are communicating with supporters to send you a check in the mail, an important note to communicate is to NOT have them write your name anywhere on the check, but to have a separate note attached that identifies who the payment is for.