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
Aug
19
Sat
Ventura Hillsides Conservancy @ downtown Ventura (Main St. & Peking Streets)
Aug 19 @ 9:00 am

A high-profile section along the Ventura River bike path will soon become Ventura’s newest ocean friendly garden. The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) and the Ocean Friendly Gardens team of the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation have teamed up to re-landscape and reinvigorate land at the entrance to the Willoughby Nature Preserve. The two organizations will host a series of community work days to transform the property, the first taking place on Saturday, August 19 beginning at 9 a.m. Volunteers will help remove old vegetation to prepare the area for future plantings of coastal native plants.

Located next to the "Welcome to Ventura" sign along the Ventura River Parkway (adjacent to the parking lot at Main and Peking Streets), the landscaping will be updated using ocean friendly garden techniques designed to capture rainwater and eliminate urban runoff. The project, funded by the City of Ventura's Community Partnerships Grant Program, seeks to beautify the area and educate the public about the benefits of ocean friendly gardening. The new garden will be named in honor of Paul Herzog, Surfrider’s National Coordinator for the Ocean Friendly Garden program, who recently passed away at age 49.

The volunteer work day will begin at 9 a.m. with an orientation at VHC’s informational kiosk located along the bike path at the Main St. Bridge in downtown Ventura (Main St. & Peking Streets). All volunteers should wear pants, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and bring a refillable water bottle. Because of the physical nature of the work, volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Aug
26
Sat
Community Cleanup with West LA Community Coalition
Aug 26 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join Big Sunday for a huge community cleanup in West LA! We will be joining forces with the West LA Community Coalition to help beautify the West LA Civic Center, Library and surrounding areas. Volunteers are needed to help with picking up trash, landscaping, tree trimming, cleaning tree beds, removing graffiti and more.

Please RSVP here: http://bit.ly/Aug26WestLA 

Sep
9
Sat
Tree Planting @ Hamilton Neighborhood
Sep 9 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Dear Neighborhood and Community Leaders —

 

More new trees are coming to the Hamilton neighborhood in North Long Beach in 2017!  I am writing to invite you and your groups to volunteer at this tree planting event! 

 

The Port of Long Beach has provided funding to plant 6,000 trees in Long Beach neighborhoods through 2020!  Businesses and community groups are partnering with Housing and Neighborhood Services to provide volunteers at the tree planting events. 

 

Come help build the urban forest in Long Beach with the Hamilton Neighborhood Association!

 

 

The trees will be planted in the neighborhood bounded by:

 

68th Street (North)

Artesia Boulevard (South)

Atlantic Avenue (West)

Gardenia Avenue (East)

Car Wash to benefit those affected by Harvey @ Covenant House
Sep 9 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

 we will be doing a Car Wash at Covenant House on Saturday, sept 9th from 10 – 2pm to raise funds for the hurricane victims in Texas.  We have a Covenant House in Houston and they suffered a lot of damage and some staff lost everything.  So we will be sending the money directly to them.

Sep
17
Sun
Jewish Community Lifetime Achievement Award Gala @ The Beverly Hilton Hotel
Sep 17 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

As Chair of the Board, I am proud to invite you to the 2017 Jewish Community Lifetime Achievement Award Gala on Sunday, September 17, 2017, honoring Helgard and Irwin Field. The Fields are pillars of our community, and, as their friend, I am deeply honored to introduce them on what promises to be a wonderful evening.

Throughout their 31 years together, the Fields have inspired Jewish Los Angeles with their commitment to our Federation and many other leading Jewish and civic organizations. Their philanthropy and leadership are what make them so very deserving of our Federation’s Jewish Community Lifetime Achievement Award. You can learn more about this power couple on our blog.

Helgard and Irwin Field have created a shared legacy of believing that it’s up to them to make the world a better place — and doing so together. Proceeds from the event will support our Federation’s efforts to support children with special needs and their families. I hope you will join me in honoring The Fields.

Sep
19
Tue
Corner Collective Art Pop Up @ Inner Sanctum Cafe
Sep 19 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Visit The Corner Collective for a one-night-only pop-up shop at the Upright Citizens Brigade Inner Sanctum! Join us for an evening of art, comedy and community featuring work created by the youth of My Friend’s Place and performances by the UCB improv teams.

Photography, art and design pieces (including those seen below) will be on sale, with 80% of proceeds going directly to the young artists. 

The Corner Collective showcases the creative endeavors of the youth of My Friend’s Place, where creative arts programming intersects with efforts to provide youth experiencing homelessness with opportunities to support skill development, job readiness and long-term self-sufficiency.

All are welcome to join the pop-up event! Please RSVP to Serita Robinson at srobinson@myfriendsplace.org by Monday, September 18. If you can't make the pop up, be sure and check out The Corner Collective online store to view and purchase original pieces created by our young people.

Sep
23
Sat
Orientation: Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter @ Burbank Animal Shelter
Sep 23 @ 9:00 am

2017 Orientation Dates

September 23, 9am
November 18, 9am

Signup links for orientations are posted on this page three weeks prior to the orientation date.

Adult Volunteer

The Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter (VBAS) is a 100% volunteer-run organization looking for committed volunteers who are able to provide basic care for the animals and assist with adoptions as well as participate in and run their various programs.

Volunteer Requirements

  • You must be 18 years of age or older.
  • You must commit to volunteer 8 hours per month.
  • You must commit to volunteering for a minimum of one year.

Orientation

  • Orientation occurs every other month.
  • Please allow 60-90 minutes for the orientation.
  • During Orientation they will cover general Shelter duties, event committees, VBAS requirements, training, KFP, take a tour and Q&A.
  • Orientation is on a first-come, first-served basis.  The first 30 people to sign up will be able to attend Orientation.  If you miss this, you will have to wait and attend the NEXT Orientation posted date.
  • Sign up for the March 25th orientation session to sign up for the next orientation session starting March 4th.

Volunteer Application Process

  • Applications are available at http://thevbas.org/volunteer for one week after each orientation.
  • Upon receipt of your application you will be given a list of Volunteers with their schedules and observe them at the Shelter at least 2 times.
  • You will then be move on and be interviewed by a VBAS member.
  • You will then go through LiveScan and a minimal background check as required by the City of Burbank.
  • Please note: completion of any or all of the above steps does not automatically constitute acceptance as a VBAS volunteer.  Upon approval from both the VBAS and the Burbank Police Department, your badge will be available and you will be contacted to schedule your first training session.
  • Please allow approximately 3-6 months to complete this application process.
Sep
24
Sun
Alive & Running
Sep 24 @ 7:00 am – 9:00 am

Alive & Running is an uplifting, life-affirming event that remembers loved ones lost to suicide while raising funds and awareness for the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center.

The first in the nation, the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center is a national and world leader in training, research and services for people who have thought about, attempted or lost someone to suicide.

Our Center has a 24/7 English/Spanish Crisis Line (1-800-273-TALK) that takes calls from around the United States and is the back-up for crisis centers throughout California. It is also one of only three in the U.S. that answers calls on the National Disaster Distress Helpline.

We have support groups for people who have attempted or lost loved ones to suicide which have been replicated around the nation and world. We train more than 20,000 people each year—including LAPD’s SWAT teams, the FBI, firefighters and other emergency responders—how to recognize and respond to warning signs.

 

Alive & Running needs approximately 200 volunteers to do important tasks and provide encouragement for our walkers and runners. Our volunteers provide race day support by helping with registration, refreshments and hydration, chip and bib pickup, t-shirt distribution and more.

As a volunteer, you will join caring people, their families and friends who have teamed up to commemorate lives cut short, raise awareness and continue on a path towards healing. All volunteers will receive a free t-shirt and continental breakfast!

Duties include:

Early Registration
Help distribute alphabetized packets of chips and bibs to pre-registered participants. Assist walkers/runners with putting on their bibs and chips.

Late Registration
Help register athletes on race day. Provide registration assistance and instructions.

T-Shirt Pickup
Help us distribute t-shirts to every participant.

Water Station
Keep athletes hydrated with on-course water distribution. Setup and breakdown is required. Support the athletes with cheering and words of encouragement!

Finish Line
Dance, sing and clap at the end of the race to encourage exhausted runners to cross the finish line. Pass out water and light refreshments.

Volunteers are needed from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. If you are a student, we will gladly provide written documentation of the volunteer hours completed.

Sep
30
Sat
National Public Lands Day at White Point
Sep 30 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join us for National Public Lands Day at White Point Nature Preserve! You will help care for the White Point Native Plant Demonstration Garden by planting native shrubs, removing invasive weeds, watering native plants, grooming trails and more! Your efforts will help restore this habitat for wildlife as well as create a beautiful place for the community to enjoy!

White Point is located at 1600 W. Paseo del Mar in San Pedro. Enter the free parking lot from the Western Blvd as it turns into Paseo del Mar. We are located at the end of the road on the left-hand side. 

We will be working outdoors, so please wear closed-toed shoes, sun protection and be sure to bring drinking water. Event locations may be moved or cancelled in the event of rain. Thank you for volunteering! 

West LA Community Cleanup
Sep 30 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join Big Sunday for a huge community cleanup in West LA! We will be joining forces with the West LA Community Coalition to help beautify the West LA Civic Center, Library and surrounding areas. Volunteers are needed to help with picking up trash, landscaping, tree trimming, cleaning tree beds, removing graffiti and more.

Please RSVP here: https://bigsundayorg.wufoo.com/forms/r1hwbjjd0jb1pvr/

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.