Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has become an entire season of celebration spanning Southern California. Beginning in August through November, festivals, pop ups, and altars are created in diverse community based organizations, public spaces, schools, and ticketed venues. Today’s interpretation of the sacred indigenous tradition has been remixed and recycled into a commercial holiday blending Mexican, Latino, and American pop culture iconography with the spiritual aesthetics of Día de los Muertos’ indigenous and Catholic influences.

As an official Getty Foundation Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibition site Self Help Graphics (SHG) will present Día de los Muertos: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present & Future to explore the evolution of the celebration in Los Angeles and the foundational transnational dialogue between the Chicano/Latino community and Mexico that continues to shape the tradition celebrated on both sides of the border. SHG will step away from the cultural appropriation that has repackaged this tradition to examine its Mexican roots presenting a future-focused exhibition supported by educational programming including a printed lectures, artist panel discussion, family-friendly tours, and a catalog to document this historical narrative. The curatorial team includes Lead-Curator artist Linda Vallejo and Co-Curator Dr. Betty Brown (Emeritus Professor of Art History, California State University Northridge) in partnership with SHG staff.

Día de los Muertos: A Cultural Legacy, Past, Present & Future exhibition and educational programming will take place between September 17, 2017 and February 24, 2018 with the main communal celebration on Saturday, November 4, 2017. The exhibition will feature three Day of the Dead “ofrendas” by artists Ofelia Esparza (East Los Angeles), Tijuana’s Gerardo “Acamonchi” Yépiz (Mexico), and Marcus Kuiland-Nazario (Los Angeles) as well as select Día de los Muertos prints, photographs and ephemera from across the four-decade history of SHG’s celebration broken down into a chronological evolution including the unveiling of the 44th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration fine art limited edition serigraph.

PANELS: Food Relief or Food Justice, Faith-Based Stewardship: Agrarian Theology, Getting It Done, Farming to Heal People + Community, Earth Based Wisdom: Applying Spiritual and Environmental Stewardship, Shopping and Eating In Line With Our Ethics.

MODERATORS: R’ Adam Allenberg, Rachael Narins, Erin Harris of Netiya, Sara Haston, Mary MacVean and more!

FEATURING: Helena Norberg-Hodge (World-Renown Local Foods Pioneer, Author of Ancient Futures, ED of Local Futures), Tim Alderson (Seeds of Hope), Reverend Peter Rood (Holy Nativity), Jon Cobb (Pandopopulus), Iesha Wadala (LAFPC), Allis Druffel (Interfaith Power & Light), Beth Wilson (Author of The Recovering Feminist) and more…

There will also be earth-based ritual, poetry on stewardship, food justice, non-GMO food and a community marketplace full of products and information on how you can make a difference in the food sovereignty movement!

You can help distribute food and clothing to the homeless and poor on any Sunday, from 3:15pm to 5:00pm, in our Hollywood location (1625 N. Schrader Blvd.) Devoting 90 minutes of your time has a positive and heartwarming impact on the homeless that you serve. We are kid friendly too!  We encourage you to bring your children and inspire them to give back to their community. (All children must be accompanied by an adult).

Volunteering requires a $20 per person donation, including children.  Your gift will go towards funding for the food and gift cards you will help distribute on Sunday afternoon.

Are you a natural problem-solver? Do you want to build relationships with DWC’s residents? Join our Residence Host team!

DWC provides 24-hour/7 day-a-week staffing of our Residence to answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and provide support to our residents. Volunteers help us ensure coverage during our Resident Manager dinner breaks from 5:00pm-7:00pm. This is a great opportunity to put problem-solving skills to work and to meet and build relationships with our amazing residents.

Training and a weekly commitment are required. Individual opportunity

SHARSHERET CALIFORNIA FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Featuring Isreali Singer & Songwriter Eleanor Tallie

6:30pm VIP Meet and Greet
7:00pm Wine and Hors d’Oeuvres Reception
7:50pm Performance 

The Los Angeles Day Care Center provides day care services for low-income families around the garment, flower and produce districts. Volunteers are welcome to assist one or mutiple days to help with the various activities around the classroom, office and recess. Volunteers must complete the required Protect the Mission training and have their fingers prints done prior to working at this facility.

Must be 18 or older and have experience working with preschoolers to volunteer

Become a volunteer for Meals on Wheels West (MOW) Los Angeles and help deliver meals between 10:15 am and 12:30 pm any Monday – Friday! Student volunteers are always welcome at MOW. Younger students can help with various tasks in MOW’s office or be paired with one of their regular drivers or with a parent to help deliver food to clients. High school and college students who already are licensed drivers are especially appreciated as reinforcements to MOW’s regular corps of volunteers. MOW is happy to record your community service hours and send that information to your school.

NOTE: This is an ONGOING weekly volunteer opportunity!