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
Jan
14
Sat
Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Jan 14 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Oil Painting: Capture the Beauty of Nature

Saturdays, (6 week sessions):
January 14 – February 18
February 25 – April 1
April 8 – May 13
May 20 – June 24
1:00pm – 3:30pm

Ron Pettie, Instructor
$69 Arboretum members / $79 non-members (includes Arboretum admission)
All materials are included.
 
Capture the beauty of nature! The instructor will guide a beginner to draw and paint with confidence. More advanced students will be able to paint independently at their own pace and will be able to choose their own subjects.
 
Each subsequent six-week class will explore other areas of painting such as landscape, still life, domestic animals, structures, deserts, and seascapes. Master artist Ron Pettie will guide you on this adventure.
 
At the end of a six-week session students will learn the following:

  • Composition styles
  • How to read a color chart
  • Color mixing
  • How to use the grid system and the rule of thirds
  • Use of dark and light values and gray scales
  • Learn a variety of techniques for painting , including using different brushes and the palette knife for texture and depth
  • How to use the magic frame on photographs
  • Self-Critiquing – Standing back and squinting
  • Choosing a signature

 
Reservations REQUIRED; To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623.

Jan
16
Mon
Basketball Coaches Needed @ Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center
Jan 16 – Jan 17 all-day

Basketball coaches needed for ages 5-17. Some coaching experience preferred. Must obtain volunteer application and get fingerprinted by Dept. of Rec & Parks before coaching. Fingerprinting clearance is free.  Please note this is an ongoing opportunity.  For more info, please contact Javier Moreno.

Big Sunday’s 5th Annual MLK Day Clothing Collection & Community Breakfast @ Big Sunday
Jan 16 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

At Big Sunday, we’re amazed by how many people simply don’t have enough clothes. So, once again, we’ll be collecting all kinds of clothing for all kinds of disadvantaged and grateful people. Volunteers are needed to count, sort, and fold the donations. We’ll also all be enjoying breakfast together and, once again, everyone is invited to meet someone new and participate in our memorable Something in Common photo project.

We like to think that this is in the spirit of Dr. King and something he’d have enjoyed.

Sign up at mlk-2016-imagination-croppedhttp://bigsunday.org/get-involved/mlkday/.

This event is made possible by a generous donation from Elizabeth Naftali, Groundwork Coffee and Banner Bank.

If you’d like to also be a sponsor of this special event, please contact adam@bigsunday.org.

Sponsorships are $5000, $2500 and $1000.

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Can you donate clothes?
Great! You can drop off new and gently-used clothes at Big Sunday Monday – Friday from 9 am – 5 pm or you can drop off clothes on the morning of the event, if you plan to attend. We need all kinds of clothes, all sizes. Only new socks and underwear, please.
 

MLK Jr. Day of Service @ White Point nature Preserve
Jan 16 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

wpMLK Jr. Day of Service at White Point Nature Preserve

Join Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy and help care for the White Point Native Plant Garden by removing invasive weeds, watering native plants, grooming trails and more! Raffle, give aways and and tons of fun provided! Open to all ages. Volunteer events also count for school service hours!

Volunteers will be working outdoors, so please wear closed-toed shoes, sun protection and be sure to bring drinking water. Thank you for volunteering!

For further information and to sign up please visit:
http://pvplc.volunteerhub.com

Jan
18
Wed
Basketball Coaches Needed @ Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center
Jan 18 – Jan 19 all-day

Basketball coaches needed for ages 5-17. Some coaching experience preferred. Must obtain volunteer application and get fingerprinted by Dept. of Rec & Parks before coaching. Fingerprinting clearance is free.  Please note this is an ongoing opportunity.  For more info, please contact Javier Moreno.

Jan
19
Thu
What’s Happening in Gardening @ Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Jan 19 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

What's Happening in Gardening
Hosted by Matt-Dell & Rebecca Tufenkian

8 Thursday Classes 
9:30am – 12:00pm; $140 for the series; $25 per class

To register please call the Education Department at 626-821-4623 or pay at the door

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:

 

 

 

January 12: Matt Tufenkian, Propagating Pelargoniums from Cuttings 

Ever wanted to learn more about growing your own easy-care, great-smelling, and beautiful drought-tolerant plants? Now is your chance. Join Matt-Dell as he teaches us how to start our own baby plants from seeds and cuttings.

 

January 19: Lili Singer, Hum on In! Gardening with Our Tiniest Birds

Few creatures are more beloved and admired than hummingbirds, and many species spend all or part of the year in this region. This illustrated lecture discusses how to create, plant and maintain a garden that attracts and supports these little avian wonders year round.

 

January 26: Jo O’Connell, Australian Native Plants

Celebrate Australia Day with Australian Native Plants! Jo O’Connell will share her plant knowledge with us and bring some of her plants to show and sell. Her nursery, Australian Native Plants, was established in the early 1990’s, with the help of her husband, Byron Cox. From the beginning, their vision was to provide plants that are hardy, drought tolerant, cut flower producing, and bird attracting. www.australianplants.com

 

February 2: January Nordman, The Nature of Permaculture; Building Gardens & Community

What would our lives look like if we could weave vibrant habitats throughout our sprawling metropolitan landscape? How do we begin to heal a world that is at odds with itself? Permaculture offers some possible solutions to these questions, as well as a challenge to how we can lead more fulfilling, authenticate lives as we confront the unknown of our current climate of chaos.

 

February 9: Rebecca Tufenkian, Gardens of Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown LA is often thought of as being a cement jungle, but more often than not it is spotted with beautiful gardens and green spaces. Join us on a virtual tour of Downtown Los Angeles, and enjoy the gardens without the blisters and shinsplints.

 

February 16: Brandon Walker, Irrigation Overview

Now is the time re-think your irrigation system. This class will cover different methods of irrigation, including drip vs. spray, as well as ways to work with the new municipal watering restrictions. Brandon Walker is Co-Owner/Operator at J. Harold Mitchell Supply. He brings with him a lifetime of experience working in professional irrigation. www.jhmsupply.com

 

February 23: Susan Eubank, Working with Your Climate: Arboretum Library Resources for Better Gardening

The Arboretum Library is filled with materials about plants and gardens. Susan Eubank, Arboretum Librarian, will show you the best ones to make you a better gardener wherever you live and no matter how much rain comes out of the sky. Susan Eubank has worked in three climates in three botanic garden libraries for almost twenty years and she’s eager to have you dive into the depths of the Library.

 

March 2: Edwina Pellikka, A History of Plant Based Fabrics & Plant Based Dyes

Edwina Pellikka is a Master Dyer and owner of A Dyeing Art, a high-end textile art studio. She has worked with LucasFilm for a 9-month stint dyeing fabric, hand airbrushing, and aging all the monsters for his third film in the Star Wars series, “Return of the Jedi”, which afforded her the opportunity to open A Dyeing Art in Los Angeles, catering to clients from Film & Television and Live Performances to Interior Design Furnishings & High End Fashion. Her company serves clients in America, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere around the globe.

TM@10 @ Big Sunday
Jan 19 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Don’t miss our fun weekly community service event, TM@10 (Thursday Mornings at 10), where we’ll be creating number- & letter-img_4823learning booklets for disadvantaged kidsPitch in and make a new friend!  If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to rob@bigsunday.org
 

Sewing Quilts for Veterans @ SewVac Ltd
Jan 19 @ 1:00 pm – Jan 19 @ 5:00 pm

SoCal Quilts of Valor cuts and sew quilts to present to military Veterans to thank them for their service, welcome them home, and help them in their healing. They also trim quilts when they come back from quilters and attach the binding and label, then they get hand stitched and washed in preparation for being awarded. The group meets every Thursday, except holidays. Come for as long as you can!  For more info, please contact Barbara Winkler.

Jan
20
Fri
Basketball Coaches Needed @ Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center
Jan 20 – Jan 21 all-day

Basketball coaches needed for ages 5-17. Some coaching experience preferred. Must obtain volunteer application and get fingerprinted by Dept. of Rec & Parks before coaching. Fingerprinting clearance is free.  Please note this is an ongoing opportunity.  For more info, please contact Javier Moreno.

Jan
21
Sat
Outdoor Volunteer Day: Portuguese Bend Reserve @ Portuguese Bend Reserve
Jan 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

ovd_pbJoin Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy during their Outdoor Volunteer Day at Portuguese Bend Reserve. Open to all, no experience needed! They will be working on one of their many restoration sites to remove invasive weeds and plant/maintain native shrubs. Your work will help improve the land for people and wildlife alike!

For further information and to sign up please visit:
http://pvplc.volunteerhub.com

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.