Volunteering is a fun, rewarding way to give back to your community.
Volunteering is a rewarding way to give back to the southern California community. There are many ways to use and develop your skills while becoming involved in southern California. Whether you like pets or handy work, there are a variety of volunteer organizations in the region for you to explore.
Special Olympics Southern California
Special Olympics Southern California (sosc.org) is a nonprofit organization that "empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive, and respected members of society through sports training and competition," according to its website. The southern California chapter is one of 52 nationwide, and is part of Special Olympics, Inc., which serves 3 million athletes in 180 countries around the world. Special Olympics Southern California works to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Volunteers are needed in many capacities: coaching sports teams, helping with competitions, planning and managing events and helping with fundraising efforts, among others.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (nationalmssociety.org/cal) works to raise money for MS research, offer services to people with MS, provide educational programs and advance MS advocacy efforts across the country. The National MS Society provides assistance to more than one million people annually. Three key fundraising activities are the MS Bike Tour, MS Walk and MS Challenge Walk. Volunteers in southern California are needed for these events and others in the fields of marketing communications, public relations, corporate and donor development, medical, legal, administrative and organizational expertise.
Pet Orphans of Southern California
Volunteering with pets is fun.
Pet Orphans (petorphansfund.org) in Van Nuys, California, does more than offer a safe haven to pets in need. The non-profit organization also facilitates pet adoptions, provides low-cost or free medical care for pets, educates about pet ownership and safety and trains animals with behavior problems. Pet Orphans offers many volunteer positions, such as adoption counselor, dog and cat socializer, foster parent, fund-raiser, greeter, humane educator, kennel helper and more.
Rebuilding Together Southern California
Providing a home for those who cannot afford one is rewarding.
Rebuilding Together Southern California (rtsocal.org) assists individual affiliates in keeping low-income, disabled and elderly homeowners in their homes safely. The organization's website says "an extension of that mission is to forge partnerships with communities, sponsors, donors, and other housing organizations to strengthen each group's ability to support homeowner housing issues both individually and cooperatively." In order to achieve these goals, Rebuilding Together Southern California promotes collaboration on projects, region-wide funding opportunities for the affiliates and the formation and initial operations of new affiliates. Volunteers help with the physical rebuilding or repair of the home, as well as donate or help raise money for the project.
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