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.
Volunteers are essential to the success of Good Shepherd Center and help us improve the lives of homeless women and children in our community. We would love to have you join our team as a volunteer. Prior to volunteering we strongly reccomend that you participate in a tour of our facilites. Tours are offered the second Saturday of the month at 10:00 am. NOTE: There will be no tour in December.
Tours begin at our Farley House Residence, located at 1671 Beverly Blvd. Parking and entrance to the building are in the alley located one block north of Beverly Blvd., off Union Ave.
The tour takes a little more than an hour and will be followed by a Volunteer Information and Orientation. If you are interested in volunteering or learning how how you can get involved (e.g. donating, serving on our Auxiliary Board, or assisting with fund-raising), we strongly encourage you to participate in the tour.
Those that attend the Volunteer Information and Orientation portion will:
- Learn more about Good Shepherd Centers’ programs
- Be provided with a list of current volunteer opportunities and a job description
- Have an opportunity to fill out a volunteer application
If you would like to participate in the tour or attend the Volunteer Information and Orientation, please contact Annemarie at ahowse@gschomeless.org.
Requirements for Volunteers:
- Fill out a volunteer application
- Pass a background check.or be live scan fingerprinted at one of our Live Scan Centers. (depending on your volunteer position).
- TB clearance (at your expense or there are facilities that do it for free; we will provide you with that information)
- Interview by a staff member/s
- Please note: Minors do not need to pass a background check but will need parental or guardian approval (signature)
If you would like to attend the orientation, please contact Annemarie at ahowse@gschomeless.org.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Fund-raising
- Join our Outreach Team
- Join our Auxiliary Board
- Assist in our Family Services Program
- Serve as a tutor in Math or English for women working on their GED. Tutoring is one on one and hours are flexible.
- Prepare (or cater) a meal and serve to residents at one of our shelters
- Facilitate an employment related seminar-this can be a one time commitment.
- Organize our donation room. You must be able to work independently with little supervision. Hours are flexible but must be weekdays, during regular business hours. Great organizational abilities a plus!
- Facilitate a drive (food, toiletries, beauty products). Ask about our incentive program.
- Volunteer opportunities change periodically depending on our needs at the time. We welcome your ideas.
We are always happy to have people interested in volunteering!
We have a short orientation every Saturday morning at 8:45am in Shadow Hills. (Rain will normally cancel and we are closed for major 3-day holiday weekends.)
Volunteers must be at least 12 to volunteer. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must accompany you to sign some paperwork. Closed-toe shoes (should be comfortable because there is a lot of walking), a shirt with sleeves (T-shirts are fine; No tank tops) and long pants are required. If planning to stay for the entire day (till approx. 2 – 2:30pm) then bringing water and a sack lunch/snack is recommended. Other days and times available for volunteering will be given at the orientation.
We normally have volunteers assist the instructor with the children and horses, which includes, leading horses and spotting, which is walking alongside the horse to ensure child’s safety and position changes on the horse. Other activities might include: grooming horses, cleaning tack, gardening (raking, weeding, etc.), mailings, etc.
If you are searching for a rewarding experience and love working with and for animals, we invite you to join the OC Animal Care volunteer team. Volunteer opportunities are available seven days a week.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
§ Dog Walker –
Volunteers walk and exercise shelter dogs that are available for adoption. Through exercise, dog walkers provide adoptable dogs' human contact, mental stimulation and basic command training.
§ Cat Socializer –
Volunteers socialize available shelter cats. Through socializing, volunteers improve the quality of their lives and better prepare them for adoption into loving homes.
§ Greeter –
Volunteers greet and offer assistance to the public at OC Animal Care's front gate. Greeters are a visitor's first contact with the shelter and through their warm greeting and courtesy may influence a person's decision to adopt from OC Animal Care.
§ Mobile Adoption/Special Events –
Volunteers assist staff in educating citizens about the services provided by OC Animal Care at local fairs, festivals and mobile adoption events.
§ Clerical Support –
Volunteers assist customer services staff by preparing adoption packets that offer insightful information to ease the transition of an adopted pet into a new environment.
§ Bather/Groomer –
Volunteers bathe and groom shelter dogs to create quality bonding time between themselves and the dogs and increase a dog's adoptability.
§ Foster Caretaker –
Volunteers provide temporary care to young, injured, abused or under-socialized animals. Volunteers return their foster animals when they are deemed suitable for adoption by OC Animal Care clinic staff. The volunteer is responsible for all expenses incurred while fostering.
VOLUNTEER SELECTION
OC Animal Care requires that all potential volunteers go through an extensive selection process. This process ensures that OC Animal Care is selecting volunteers that best fit the needs of the program and understand the unique environment in which they will work. The selection process may take up to two months. Please note that applicants will be selected based on the current needs of OC Animal Care.
Time Commitment
OC Animal Care requests that you commit to a minimum of eight hours per month for three months. This commitment ensures that the program will operate smoothly and that the maximum benefit is derived for the animals.
Training
OC Animal Care staff provide training to all volunteers. Volunteers are required to complete the training for each position in which they are selected to serve.
Every Sunday volunteers sign in at 7am and out at 1pm to help greet at the entrance gates and offer information about ONEgeneration services, help at the Bagel or Book booths, or assist a Farmers or small business for the day. This event is a walk in position so you can come any Sunday that you are available from 7am to 1pm, no partial shifts.
When volunteers sign out at 1pm they will receive a completion letter for their hours if needed.
If you have questions about this weekly volunteer event please email [masked]
We hope to see you soon at the Encino Farmers Market!
100% of the proceeds from all ONEgeneration booths and entrance gates support the programs we offer the community.
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.
For over 20 years, Food on Foot has been assisting the homeless by providing nutritious meals, clothing, work opportunities and ultimately the transition to full-time employment and life off the streets.
As an awesome volunteer, you will help distribute food and clothing to up to 200 homeless and low-income people in Hollywood. Children ages 6 and up are welcome to attend! (All children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).
Volunteering takes place every Sunday from 3:15pm to 5:00pm in our serving location in Hollywood (1625 N. Schrader Blvd).
There's free parking for volunteers at the serving location!
You will also get a chance to meet and hear stories from the homeless participants in our Work for Food program. Graduates from this program leave the streets with a full-time job, permanent housing, a life-skills education, and the confidence needed to make their accomplishments long-lasting.
Volunteer positions require a $25 donation per person.
Your generous gift of $25 will go towards the following:
- The cost of food you will help distribute that day.
- Food gift cards and prizes you will give to the top workers in our Work for Food program.
Up to 200 homeless and low-income people will thank you, and it will be an experience you will never forget.
We are in need of donated clothing!
We are in need of gently used clothing (children to adult sizes), warm jackets, suits, dresses blankets, sleeping bags and backpacks.
All clothes donations are tax-deductible and can be dropped off when you come to volunteer.
Please limit your clothing donations 5 bags' worth of clothing or less.
The North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry is always delighted to have new volunteers and there are several ways to get involved:
There are several packing teams who pack groceries at Temple Beth Hillel. Dates and times of individual teams are arranged through the Packing Team Coordinator, Leslye Adelman. Please contact Leslye on her email at momof3inla@att.net to get involved.
The Transportation Teams transport the packed groceries from Temple Beth Hillel to First Christian Church located on Colfax Avenue throughout the week. The dates and times of the individual teams are organized by the Transportation Team Coordintor, Chris Wilkinson. Please contact Chris on his email at cgwilkinson@gmail.com to get involved.
Transportation teams pickup Thursdays and Sundays using a provided truck.
The whole process transporting from 150-200 prepacked bags of food takes about one hour to complete.
Thursday pickup teams generally operate between 5:00-8:00PM.
Sunday pickup teams generally operate between 8:00-9:30AM and 1:00-3:00PM.
Food Distribution Teams:
FOOD DISTRIBUTION TEAMS:
The Food Distribution Teams are responsible for distributing food to our clients at First Christian Church. These teams work during our hours of operation on Mondays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please call a representative at 818-760-3575 during operation hours to get involved.
Listing of Volunteer Positions by Jobs:
Hand Out Food Monday and Friday
Unload Trucks
Food Shelvers
Bag Packers
Bag Movers
Pick Up Donated Bread
Bagel Brigade
Serve on Committees
STUDIO VOLUNTEERISM
Studio volunteers work alongside teaching artists to support K-12 students as they explore their own creativity in one of our seven studios: Visual Arts, Ceramics, Creativity Lab, Media Arts, Drama, Dance, and Music. Studio volunteerism requires a once-per-week, two-hour commitment for the duration of a session: 3 – 10 weeks total, depending on the program. In order to be eligible for studio volunteerism, you must participate in a one-on-one interview and orientation. Additionally, all studio volunteers are required to sign a background check consent prior to serving in the studios with students.
LEARNING AND ACHIEVING THROUGH THE ARTS (LATA) serves elementary and middle school students from the Los Angeles Unified School District and local charter schools. Twice a week, for seven- or eight-week sessions, students and their classroom teachers are brought to the Inner-City Arts campus for experiential instruction in the visual and performing arts during the school day. LATA studio volunteers support by assisting teaching artists with studio set-up and transitions, motivating students to engage in the creative process, and sometimes participating in projects and exercises alongside students. LATA studio volunteers support periods 1 -3 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and periods 1-2 on Tuesday and Thursday in the following volunteer shifts:
Period 1: 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Period 2:10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Period 3: 12:15 pm – 2:15 pm
THE VISUAL, MEDIA AND PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTES offer self-select, after-school and weekend workshops to middle and high school students, once weekly across ten weeks during Fall and Spring sessions and twice weekly across five weeks over summer. Institutes volunteers support teaching artists and students by lending their expertise in a specific medium and assisting teaching artists with studio set-up and transitions. Volunteer shifts vary from workshop to workshop.
ARTISTS IN THE MIDDLE (AIM) is Inner-City Arts' summer programming for incoming 6th – 8th grade students, during which students have the opportunity to hone their skills in four different art forms during one of two three-week sessions. AIM studio volunteers support by assisting teaching artists with studio set-up and transitions, motivating students to engage in the creative process, and sometimes participating in projects and exercises alongside students. AIM studio volunteers support periods 1 -2 Monday – Friday in the following volunteer shifts:
Period 1: 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Period 2:10:15 am – 12:15 pm
Each Monday Afternoon at 2pm, we host a fun, hands-on service project at Big Sunday headquarters called MA@2 (Monday Afternoons at 2). It’s a great way for folks of all ages to get together to help others. Join us for all the fun! To RSVP for upcoming MA@2 events, please contact beenish@bigsunday.org. 
Click HERE for MA@2's full schedule.
Imagine LA is a non profit organization that recruits, trains and partners with volunteer mentors to help families end the cycle of homelessness through a blend of mentoring and social services. And we are always looking for additional volunteer support. We are looking for volunteers at all levels but particularly those interesting in mentoring. Imagine LA's volunteer mentors are committed to fighting homelessness in Los Angeles and play an essential role in fulfilling our mission. They are eager to work in a team of like-minded peers and commit to a long-term volunteer position that’s incredibly fulfilling.
Volunteers must be 21+ years old and willing to make a 15 to 18 month commitment!
SIGN UP HERE!
