Join Harvard's Global Month of Service for April 2015
The opportunities to volunteer on this page have been collected by our alumni for our alumni! Each year, Southern California alumni volunteers share their time, energy and skills to top all other cities’ participation. Please join us!
This April, Harvard alumni, friends and family are again invited to participate in Harvard’s annual Global Month of Service. Last year over 100 local alumni volunteered, and this year we hope to double that number.
Our energetic local alumni have organized projects in non-profit organizations throughout our region, offering a plethora of opportunities to volunteer during the month of April and beyond. Whatever your skill, and wherever your neighborhood, we’ve got a volunteer activity for you. Don't miss this chance to give back to your local community, while working alongside fellow alumni.
Please refer to the following list for an overview of participating organizations. To sign up for a volunteer opportunity, scroll down to the organization with which you'd like to volunteer, and call or email the alumni coordinator. Once you register with them, the event alumni coordinator will be in touch with further details.
For questions, contact Liz Ryan, LA Community Service Coordinator, at lryan.ryanworks@gmail.com, or 310-822-6042.
Come have fun doing good!
Scroll down further to see volunteer opportunities by any of the following wonderful organizations:
Cabrillo Ivy League Mentorship Program
Deep Green Housing and Community Development
Global Education, Peru
Harvard Tutors in the Schools
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now
Los Angeles Leadership Academy
Minds Matter of Los Angeles
Penny Lane Center. Inc.
RK Squared
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Valiente College Preparatory Charter School
Cabrillo Ivy League Mentorship Program
http://lbcabrillo.schoolloop.com/
When: Last Thursday of each month, 3 PM - 4 PM.
Where: Cabrillo High School, 2001 Santa Fe Avenue Long Beach, CA 90810
Contact: Ethel Laczko, 626-429-3138 or etheledu@yahoo.com
Deep Green Housing and Community Development
http://deepgreenhousing.org
When: April 18, 12:00noon - 2:00PM with a short orientation before meeting the residents. Also, see below for every other week for two months starting mid-April, 7-8:30PM
Desired number of volunteers: 6
Where: Broadway Village II, 501 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Contact: Beth Bergman, w-213.736.5101 Ext. 1, c-213.219.3666
Deep Green Housing develops, owns and operates affordable housing for low income individuals and families. We hope to rekindle a program called "Goddess Gatherings," designed to inspire and empower women living at this building through a series of discussions on issues such as education, employment, child development, money management, domestic violence, etc. There are a total of 50 units at this site with an ethnic composition of 60% Hispanic and 40% African American. The majority of the women(40)are single-parent, heads of household and range in age from 27-48 and all residents at this site have children. The majority of the residents have not graduated from high school. An estimated 50% of the residents are employed and most are under-employed at low-wage jobs. Our goal for the Goddess Gatherings program is to enhance the quality of life for our residents through motivating speakers and volunteers that help improve self-esteem. To the extent that other resources may be brought to the program by the volunteers of Harvard Serves, we welcome such contributions and your service.
Global Education, Peru
www.globaled.us
When: Dates per consultation of volunteers and coordinator
Contact: Ethel Seminario-Laczko at 626-429-3138 or etheledu@yahoo.com
When: One hour or more/week during school year. Time of day TBD.
Where: 32nd St. USC Magnet School, 840 32nd St., Los Angeles
Contact: Priscilla Heim at 310-472-4478 or priheim@verizon.net
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now
http://www.keenlosangeles.org/
When & Where:
Sports Program - The Children’s Institute, 2121 W Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026: 10:15AM-12:30PM first and third Satudays from April 4 through December 19.
Summer Swim Program- Variety Boys & Girls Club, 2530 Cincinnati Street, Los Angeles, CA: 9:15AM- 12:00PM, June 20. July 18, August 15
Contact: Amy Chou, 213-267-1777,
info@keenlosangeles.org
KEEN is a national, volunteer-led, nonprofit organization that provides one-to-one recreational opportunities for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities at no cost to their families and caregivers. All of KEEN's programs are based on a single principle: pair a trained volunteer with an athlete and let them discover together how much they can do. Programs are all open and unstructured, allowing athletes facing significant challenges to have fun and be successful.
· Absolutely Free
· Volunteer-Run
· Age Appropriate & Non-Competitive
· Open, Unstructured and Flexible
· Tailored for Each Athlete's Needs
· Inclusive, Regardless of Severity of Disabilities.
Los Angeles Leadership Academy
http://www.laleadership.org/
When: Saturday, April 25, 9:30 AM - 4 PM
Where: 2670 Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Contact: Roger Lowenstein, 213-381-8484 or rlowenstein@laleadership.org
L.A. Leadership is a public charter school in Lincoln Heights, serving some of the poorest families in California. The school has Kindergarten and first grade, and grades 6-12. Volunteers are needed to help with physical labor on the terraced hillside – digging, mulching, planting, extending the terraces, etc. If you have a pair of work gloves, bring them. Otherwise all tools will be provided. We will have parents and some students volunteering as well, so that it will be a real community effort. We will provide lunch.
Minds Matter of Los Angeles
www.mindsmatterla.org/
When: Volunteer’s choice of Saturdays, during the school year
Where: 19360 Rinaldi Street #705, Porter Ranch, CA 91326
Contact: Leanne Huebner at (310) 721-6228 or lpyott@yahoo.com
Our mission is to transform the lives of academically achieving high school students from low-income families by broadening their dreams and preparing them for college success. We provide a rigorous program of tutoring, mentoring, SAT prep and scholarships to leading academic college summer programs. Over our 20-year history, 100% of our graduates have been accepted to four year colleges. Our LA chapter is 100% volunteer run. We have a variety of opportunities for volunteers depending on time, talent and interests; our biggest need are for mentors as we pair our students up with two mentors each.
Penny Lane Center, Inc.
http://www.pennylane.org
When: Saturday, May 2, 2015, 10:00AM – 4:00PM is our Enrichment Day.
Where: 15305 Rayen St., North Hills CA 91343
Desired number of volunteers: 5-10
Contact: Beth Bergman, w-213.736.5101 Ext. 1, c- 213.219.3666
Founded in 1969, Penny Lane Centers, Inc. is a community-based, human services organization that provides social and mental health services to at-risk children and teens and young adults ages 0 –21 and their families. All of those we serve come to us with histories of abuse, neglect, abandonment or exposure to domestic violence or mental illness. Our integrated service helps children and families achieve their highest level of functioning, self-reliance and autonomy. We serve over 3500 children and families a month and during the holidays.
On our Enrichment Day, volunteers come to Penny Lane and introduce our children to life skills and how to overcome different obstacles in life. Our Mentoring and Volunteer Program matches volunteers from the community, whom we hope will serve as role models, with our children, toward the goal of the stability of long lasting relationships. Penny Lane offers mentors group activities where our kids get to do different and exciting activities such as Career Opportunities Day, Gardening Day, and Personal Item Gift Day, where volunteers purchase and assemble personal item kits for our children.
When: based on volunteer availability
Where: 200 E. Alessandro Blvd, #65, Riverside, CA 95804
Contact: Ramona Davenport Rogers, 805-588-2555 or ramonarogers@prucalcc.com
children in Isla Vista, Lompoc and Santa Barbara County. In April, books are needed for donation to a SoCal shelter to establish a library, give the children some books of their own, and encourage staff to institute a story time to promote literacy. Also seeking a volunteer to coordinate ongoing interface between the shelter and collections.
Currently collecting books for the children/teens to take with them when they transition out of the shelter we are working with, as well as more for the libraries.
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
http://www.shelterpartnership.org/
When: Saturday, April 19, 2:30-4:00PM
Where: 2759 West Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Desired number of volunteers: up to 10
Contact: Leanne Huebner, 310-721-6228 , lpyott@yahoo.com
Santa Cecilia Orchestra is a professional symphony orchestra founded in 1993 that creates wonderful opportunities for family-friendly classical music, with a particular focus on bringing classical music to communities of color. Through its Discovering Music Program, SCO reaches thousands of students each year in more than 40 elementary schools. HELP BRING the joy of instruments to children. Prior to their concerts, Santa Cecilia Orchestra offers its youngest concert-goers the opportunity to try real musical instruments outside the hall. It’s an amazing experience to hand a violin to a child and give them a very basic lesson on holding and using the winds, strings, and more – alongside the orchestra’s musicians. Volunteers will also help usher audience to their seats. Your reward will be a free ticket to the concert if you sign up by April 13th. No special skills are required, however if you paid an instrument, that would be very helpful!
Valiente College Preparatory Charter School
http://www.valientecollegeprep.org
When: Saturday, April 18, 11:00AM-3:00PM
Where: c/o South Gate Chamber of Commerce, 3350 Tweedy Boulevard, South Gate, CA 90280
Desired number of volunteers: up to 5
Contact: Leanne Huebner, 310-721-6228 , lpyott@yahoo.com
Valiente is a brand new charter school which will be serving the communities of Southeast Los Angeles. It is is an early-start public middle school which serves to educate students grades 4th through 8th in scholarship and integrity. BE PART OF A SCHOOL’S OPENING! Volunteers are very much needed for operational support during the school’s inaugural lottery process. Volunteers will be checking parents and families in, helping with the lottery logistics, and in general supporting the Executive Director on this day. Spanish language skills would be very useful and it would be best if volunteers would review our website and learn more about our school so they can speak knowledgeably with families.