Get involved and give back to your community by volunteering with one of these amazing organizations!
One of the most important things we can do as parents is instill in our children a sense of community, teaching them to give back and help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It can be tricky to find age-appropriate ways to get your kids involved in giving back. Luckily, many organizations encourage kids and teens of all ages to get involved. Some even have programs and events that are perfect for young ones to get started down a path of community service.
L.A. has no shortage of people and communities in need and hundreds of reputable organizations that help the most vulnerable citizens of our city. Serving the community is an awesome way for families to spend quality time together. Everyone can participate: kids, parents, grandparents, even nannies and babysitters! You’re never too young or too old to understand the importance of helping people and respecting your city and planet. Consider signing up to volunteer with one of the 10 organizations we’ve listed below, and start paying it forward!
Lamp Community/The People Concern
Good For: Kids, teens, families
Volunteer Information: Check the website for a list of current volunteer opportunities. | New volunteers apply here.
The People Concern, formerly known as Lamp Community and Ocean Park Community Center, aims to end homelessness among L.A.’s most vulnerable individuals. Through a variety of services, they get people off the streets and into safe, affordable housing. Several opportunities are open to volunteers in the Santa Monica and downtown areas that are suitable for kids and teens or for the whole family to get involved. Volunteers can sign up to host lunches or dinners, game nights, and ice cream socials. There are also openings for volunteers to help serve meals or spruce up housing facilities.
County of Los Angeles Public Library
Good For: Kids, teens
Volunteer Information: Pick up an application at any Los Angeles County public library, or download an application online.
Many libraries in L.A. rely on volunteers to run programs, help with daily operations, and keep the facility running smoothly. Volunteering with your local library is a great way to promote literacy and a love of reading. Library volunteers assist with cleaning and sorting books and displays, children’s storytimes and art activities, and even fundraising. Los Angeles County libraries welcome volunteers of all ages, and there are opportunities for all skill levels and abilities. Encouraging your kids to volunteer at your local library is a great way to give back, and build their own love of books and reading.
Union Rescue Mission
Good For: Kids, teens, families
Volunteer Information: Check the website for information on what each location needs. | Email volunteer@urm.org to sign up.
Union Rescue Mission has been helping the underprivileged and vulnerable population of L.A. since 1891. They provide care, shelter, meals, and other services to the homeless and help them try to break the cycle of poverty to get back on their feet. With three locations serving all over L.A., there is always a need for volunteers to fill one of the many jobs available. From serving meals at Union Rescue Mission downtown to rolling up your sleeves and helping keep the Hope Gardens Family Center clean and safe, there are lots of ways for volunteers of all ages to give back. URM has volunteer opportunities at all three of the locations they manage: the mission itself in downtown L.A.; Hope Gardens Family Center in Sylmar, California; and their thrift store in Covina, California. Many volunteer jobs are open to all ages, but some have a minimum age requirement of 14-18 years old.
Food on Foot
Good For: Kids, teens, families
Volunteer Information: Visit the website to volunteer on an upcoming Sunday. | Volunteers of all ages can help distribute food and clothing to the homeless every Sunday from 3:15 p.m. – 5 p.m. at their Hollywood location (1625 N. Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028).
Get the whole family involved and sign up to distribute food, clothing, and more to L.A.’s homeless citizens. Every Sunday afternoon, Food on Foot mobilizes to hand out much-needed food and supplies to the needy, and volunteers of all ages are welcome to join. Just 90 minutes can make a huge difference in the lives of the homeless people who rely on Food on Foot, and it’s a great introduction to volunteerism and giving back for even young children. Every volunteer is required to make a $20 donation, which is used to fund the program, and you can volunteer as many times as you’d like.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Good For: Teens ages 15–17
Volunteer Information: Check the website for information and to find out when registration opens for Summer 2018.
If your teen is looking for a volunteer opportunity for the summer or has shown an interest in pursuing a degree and career in the medical field, the Summer Junior Volunteer Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles — open to teens from 15 to 17 — is a great place to start. Volunteers in the program provide patients, families, and staff with services like escorting them around the facility, bringing play carts to common areas, and completing administrative work. Job-shadowing is not part of the program, but it’s a great introduction for interested teens who would like to work in a hospital, and it can give them the experience necessary to secure an internship later. Volunteers are required to be available three days a week and work in four-hour blocks a day for the entire seven-week program. Applicants must complete an interview and health screening.
Trash 4 Teaching
Good For: Ages 14+
Volunteer Information: Visit the L.A. Works website for dates and registration information.
At Trash 4 Teaching, one person’s trash is quite literally another’s treasure. The organization collects materials discarded by manufacturers and wholesale distributors and repurposes them for K-12 STEM education throughout L.A. Volunteers are always needed to help sort and organize the deliveries as they come in, as well as to assist customers who visit the Gardena warehouse to shop. This is a great way for teens to flex their creative muscles while learning about STEM and recycling. Other than sorting and organizing materials, volunteers may be tasked with folding fabrics, loading and unloading the T4T trucks, and even using power tools to build or tear down structures as needed. This opportunity is open to teens ages 14 and up and is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Heal the Bay
Good For: All ages
Volunteer Information: Visit their website to RSVP for an upcoming cleanup event.
There are several organizations in L.A. that focus on moving the city toward a greener, cleaner future, and Heal the Bay has been covering our beaches for over 30 years. They organize monthly beach cleanups as part of their mission to keep our bays and oceans healthy and thriving. Every month, they hit a different L.A. County beach for their Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup and, with the help of volunteers, work tirelessly to keep our coastlines looking good. This is an awesome volunteer opportunity for kids of all ages and one that the whole family can do together. Bags, gloves, water, and snacks are provided, but the organization asks that you bring your own cleanup supplies and reusable water bottles. The beach cleanups are held from 10 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of every month, except in December. Events happen rain or shine, so be prepared for inclement weather.
APLA Health
Good For: Ages 12+, but they host events that kids of all ages can participate in.
Volunteer Information: Visit the website apply to be a volunteer in one of their divisions. | Find volunteer opportunities and fundraising information for AIDS Walk L.A. here.
APLA Health has been dedicated to helping those affected by HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles since 1983. They focus on providing access to health care, education, and support services for those who don’t have anywhere else to turn. Their client services and fundraising events have helped millions of people and raised millions of dollars for AIDS research and care, and they continue to work for access to adequate health care and a better life for those whose lives have been affected by the disease. Volunteers are always needed to help with operations at their food pantry and at one of the many events. Their biggest event, AIDS Walk Los Angeles, is a great way for first-time volunteers of all ages to get involved, or for a family to band together and raise funds to walk alongside thousands of other Angelenos. The next walk takes places Oct. 15, and registration is now open. You and your kids can join an existing team, or create your own! It’s always a fun and exciting event, and the amount of money raised helps so many people. APLA has volunteers as young as 12, and offers opportunities for kids and teens in their client services and volunteer resources divisions.
Friends of the L.A. River
Good For: All ages
Volunteer Information: Download a registration packet from their website and bring it to the next event.
The L.A. River is a 51-mile-long waterway that runs from the San Fernando Valley to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. Most Angelenos probably don’t give it much thought, except when we see it as we get on or off the freeway, or until it fills up from our occasional rainy seasons. Friends of the L.A. River wants to take the river back to its glory days, when it was a lush, natural habitat that supported several ecosystems throughout Los Angeles. They’re dedicated to cleaning and maintaining the river and rely on the help of volunteers to do so. River cleanups are held three times a year during Earth Month in April. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for kids to learn about how our environment changes over time. Register at any time, and dates and locations will be announced closer to the events. Together, FOLAR hopes that by giving some love to our river, we’ll all recognize the need to move toward a greener L.A.
Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles
Good For: Teens — ReStore volunteers must be 14 | Construction volunteers must be 16
Volunteer Information: To sign up to volunteer in the ReStore or on a crew, please visit the website and download the minor volunteer packet.
Habitat LA has built, repaired, or renovated nearly 800 homes in the Los Angeles area since 1990. Affordable, safe housing is something that everyone deserves but not everyone has access to, and Habitat LA aims to change that. They rely heavily on volunteers and donations to make their program successful. Teens are welcome to help out in the ReStore, sorting items that are donated from companies, contractors, and individuals, or on actual constructions crews with one of Habitat’s current projects. Construction jobs are physically demanding, so keep that in mind. But for all the physical demands, the payoff of giving someone a permanent home is incredibly rewarding. Even younger kids can get in on the action right at home by collecting items for donation.
