Big Sunday happily welcomes you to Our Really Big Community Calendar

We try to include all kinds of volunteering and helping opportunities for all kinds of interests, talents, passions, and ages! As you’ll see, these include volunteering opportunities (one-time and long-term) as well as the chance to support a nonprofit by attending fundraising events. Plus, of course, we include all of Big Sunday’s homegrown events, too! Whoever you are, and whatever you do, there is someone out there who could use your help.

If you have questions about our calendar, or would like to add a listing, please contact calendar@bigsunday.org or submit your event/opportunity via the button below.

Big Sunday Event Giving Opportunity! One-time Volunteer Opportunity Ongoing Volunteer Opportunity
Oct
22
Sat
Website Weekend @ OpenX
Oct 22 – Oct 24 all-day

Website Weekend is a weekend-long hackathon where teams of digital professionals, including designers, developers, copy writers, and more, are paired up with local nonprofit organizations. Over the course of the weekend, the teams will work closely with representatives from the nonprofit organizations to design, develop and launch new websites for the nonprofits. We need help from experienced web developers and designers, user experience professionals, copy writers, digital marketers, and more. We also need help with general volunteer tasks: handling checkins, cleanup, making sure lunch and breakfast are served, and that everyone has everything they need to be comfortable and productive.  For more info, please visit http://websiteweekend.la/.

Oct
24
Mon
Mentorship Program: Imagine LA @ Please contact Tara for more details.
Oct 24 – Oct 25 all-day

Imagine LA works with volunteers and vulnerable families to break the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and neglect; and help every member thrive!

Their Family Mentorship Program matches a team of volunteer mentors from committed organizations to work directly with a family for 1-2 years. Imagine LA matches every family member with a one-to-one mentor; plus every family gets a Budget Mentor; and other volunteers help with tutoring, career development, childcare, healthcare, meal-planning and more. Imagine LA works.

Today, kids are excelling in school, parents are on career tracks, saving, maintaining budgets, and everyone remains in stable housing.

The Family Mentorship Program is a transformative experience for Families and Mentors alike. For families escaping the cycle of poverty, a mentor like you can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

All you need to do is take the first step –– please contact Outreach & Communications Manager, Tara Ignont at tara@imaginela.org or 323-944-0210 x412 for a Mentorship Application today!

NOTE: This is an ongoing, daily (M-F) volunteer opportunity!imaginela-logo-2014

Phone Banking for Yes on Prop 56 – $2 Tobacco Tax @ American Cancer Society Pasadena Office
Oct 24 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

acs-can-logoHelp the American Cancer Society prevent kids from smoking by phone banking to pass Prop 56 – a $2 Tobacco Tax (if you don't smoke, you don't pay!). This year alone, 16,800 California kids will start smoking and taxpayers in CA will pay $3.58 Billion for tobacco-related healthcare costs. Volunteers are needed to get the word out and get voters to the polls! To sign up, go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f49a8af22a6f49-losangeles and all instructions are detailed. For more information, contact Primo Castro at 213-427-7394.

Oct
25
Tue
Dog Daycare Volunteers – Adopt & Shop Culver City @ Adopt & Shop Culver City
Oct 25 – Oct 26 all-day
Dog Daycare Volunteers - Adopt & Shop Culver City @ Adopt & Shop Culver City | Culver City | California | United States

We are currently in GREAT need of volunteers to help out in our Doggie Daycare at our Culver City Adopt & Shop. Our Daycare Volunteers are responsible for assisting staff in the supervision of daycare dogs to ensure that everyone is playing nicely, getting attention, and receiving breaks whenever needed. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn from the best about dog behavior and body language in this area. You will learn how to mediate and control dog to dog interactions in a playgroup setting.

By volunteering in Daycare you will not only get hands on animal experience but you will also be directly helping our rescue by supporting the piece that funds our adoption program. Our Adopt & Shop stores are adoption centers that bring animals from local shelters and makes them available to adopt in a bright, happy, retail setting. Adopt & Shop is a non-profit pet shop where every dollar spent is put towards helping a homeless animal.

Come volunteer for Found Animals Foundation, a Los Angeles non-profit solely devoted to animal welfare!. We are an organization of avid animal lovers who focus our efforts on decreasing the number of homeless pets in shelters.

If you are interested in learning more about us and our rewarding volunteer opportunities, please visit our website ( http://www.foundanimals.org/get-involved/volunteer ).

Of course, we're happy to answer any questions you may have about our Foundation or our programs so please don't hesitate to ask. We look forward to hearing back from you soon!

Daycare Shift Times:
Monday – Friday: 7am-9am, 9am-11am, 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm, 3pm-5pm, 5pm-8pm

Mentorship Program: Imagine LA @ Please contact Tara for more details.
Oct 25 – Oct 26 all-day

Imagine LA works with volunteers and vulnerable families to break the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and neglect; and help every member thrive!

Their Family Mentorship Program matches a team of volunteer mentors from committed organizations to work directly with a family for 1-2 years. Imagine LA matches every family member with a one-to-one mentor; plus every family gets a Budget Mentor; and other volunteers help with tutoring, career development, childcare, healthcare, meal-planning and more. Imagine LA works.

Today, kids are excelling in school, parents are on career tracks, saving, maintaining budgets, and everyone remains in stable housing.

The Family Mentorship Program is a transformative experience for Families and Mentors alike. For families escaping the cycle of poverty, a mentor like you can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

All you need to do is take the first step –– please contact Outreach & Communications Manager, Tara Ignont at tara@imaginela.org or 323-944-0210 x412 for a Mentorship Application today!

NOTE: This is an ongoing, daily (M-F) volunteer opportunity!imaginela-logo-2014

Oct
27
Thu
Volunteers: NewFilmmakers LA @ Los Angeles, CA
Oct 27 – Oct 28 all-day

Film

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles is looking for volunteers for their monthly screenings! NFMLA is a non-profit dedicated to supporting emerging indie talent by screening a diverse body of shorts and features each month. 

Volunteers are needed for a Friday and Saturday once a month to help with set-up, reception, red carpet, ticketing, and breakdown. The evening is broken into 2 shifts, so when volunteers are not working, they can hang out and enjoy the event! To find out how to help, please contact Marissa@nfmla.org.

LA Arboretum: “What’s Happening in Gardening” Series @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Oct 27 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

whats-happening-in-gardening-la-arboretum-16Don’t miss the LA Arboretum’s “What's Happening in Gardening” Series!

8 Thursdays, September 15-November 3
9:30am-12pm; $140 for the series; $25 per class
 

These classes are designed to help you keep up with garden news, trends, tips and pests. Each class begins with an open discussion and plant giveaway, followed by a lecture or hands-on workshop from one of the following speakers:

Sept. 15:  Jose & Carrie Hernandez, CJ’s Organic Farm

CJ's Organic Farm grows heirloom vegetables, fruits, and herbs for year-round weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) baskets. They also sell organically grown heirloom vegetables and herb starts for your garden at the CJ’s Organic Farm booth at the Villa Park Farmers’ Market in Pasadena on Tuesday mornings.

Sept. 22: Nancy Bird, Rocks for Your Garden

Nancy Bird, rock expert and owner of NancyRocks, will show beautiful colorful rocks that will compliment your garden. She also will explain the Bureau of Land Management rules and permitting procedures for collecting rocks for free!

Sept. 29: Jill Morganelli, New Gardens & Garden Renovations at the Arboretum

Join Jill Morganelli, the Arboretum’s Horticultural Supervisor, for a discussion about the improvements being made in the gardens to enhance the Arboretum experience for visitors.

Oct. 6: Harold Koopowitz, Fall Blooming Daffodils

Harold Koopowitz currently is first vice president of the American Daffodil Society and editor emeritus for the Orchid Digest, which he edited for 10 years. He is well known internationally for breeding both slipper orchids and miniature daffodils. He is Professor Emeritus of biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine. He will be signing copies of his new novel, Diamonds and Disas: The Further Adventures of George and Matilda.

Oct. 13: Joe Brosius, Magic Growers

As production manager at Magic Growers, Joe Brosius is responsible for propagating and growing all plant material products. He also is a partner in the nursery and a past president of the L.A. chapter of California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC). Joe received his degree in ornamental horticulture from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo.

Oct. 20: Christine Anthony, Cook Now from Your Garden & Plant Now in Your Garden

A seasonal look at the edibles you're harvesting now and what to do with them, followed by a discussion of what is best to plant now for your meals in the months to come. Christine Anthony, the Renee's Garden Seeds rep to the Arboretum and a UCCE Master Gardener, will share practical tips learned from life long experience in the garden and the kitchen. Please be prepared to share your recipe ideas and gardening tips with one and all.

Oct. 27: Nicholas Staddon, The New American Garden

Nicholas Staddon travels the United States and the world in search of new trends and great plants for American gardens. In his lively and informative presentation, he’ll discuss some of the issues facing American gardeners today: invasive plants, the water situation, the plight of the pollinators, and what the solutions might be. Nicholas also will share some of his very best plant suggestions for our region.

Nov. 3: Leigh Adams: Permaculture: A Gardener’s Perspective

Interpretive horticulturalist and creator of the Crescent Garden, Leigh Adams will give us an overview of her experience working with Permaculture. She will then lead us on a private tour of the garden she created “behind the scenes” at the Arboretum.

http://www.arboretum.org

Quilts of Valor Sew Day @ SewVac
Oct 27 @ 1:00 pm – Oct 27 @ 5:00 pm

Looking for a way to give back to our veterans?  Join So Cal Quilts of Valor for their Sew Day as they make quilts for our nation’s heroes!

This volunteer activity is FREE. If you want to bring a sewing machine or a project to work on, you may; OR you can use one of the classroom machines to sew quilts using Quilts of Valor’s kits to be given to military veterans when finished. If you don't sew, but want to help, they need help with ironing, trimming threads, sorting fabric, etc.  For more info, please contact Barbara Winkler at 562-925-7673 or email info@socalqov.org.

To see photos quilts the organization has made and the many recipients who have received these items, please visit www.socalqov.org. So far this year (in only 5 months), Quilts of Valor has presented 309 quilts to veterans of all ages, including almost 100 from WWII!

SoCal Quilts of Valor Sew Days @ SewVac Ltd
Oct 27 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Join our friends at So Cal Quilts of Valor for their Sew Days held every Thursday (except on holidays).  Volunteers are needed to help construct quilts to be awarded to veterans to thank them for their service and/or help them in their healing. For more info, please visit www.socalqov.org.  They especially need long-arm quilters to complete the process.  Please contact Barbara Winkler for more info or to sign up today! 

All Peoples’ 74th Anniversary Fundraiser @ The Alexandria (The Palm Court)
Oct 27 @ 6:00 pm

"Peoples Live – All Access"

The gala event will take place at the Palm Court of the Alexandria Ballroom in Downtown L.A. in a night of festivities that will include an exquisite cuisine, community awards, and a silent auction in one of Los Angeles' most prestigious & historic hotels. 

The night's honorees are: 

  • Dan Genung Visionary Award – Anthony Tolbert
  • Joe Ide Community Spirit – Crystal Gonzalez

Tickets to this year's "All Peoples Live: All Access" Gala are now available here

How it Works

You can SEARCH by scrolling through the Months or by selecting different Categories or Tag functions. For a totally different view, try the Posterboard or Stream options! Feel free to submit an item for the calendar by clicking the “Submit Your Event / Opportunity” button above at the right-hand side of the page. Questions? Email calendar@bigsunday.org.