Nurture Shelter Animals as a Care Volunteer with Los Angeles Rabbit Foundation
Assist abandoned rabbits housed in municipal animal shelters. Care duties involve adhering to set feeding schedules, cleaning enclosures, providing enrichment, and exercising the rabbits in secure play environments. Volunteers must maintain kind collaboration with shelter staff and follow exact directions to preserve the animals' daily care routines. Open to ages 12+ (minors aged 12-15 require constant parental accompaniment).
Become a Weekly Safe Haven Volunteer with My Friend’s Place
Partner directly with staff to help young people access food, clothing, showers, phone access, and other basic care resources during their weekday drop-in hours. This vital position helps youth find respite from the daily demands of survival. A background check, TB test, onboarding training, and a committed weekly schedule of at least six months is required. Must be 18 years or older.
Join a Monthly Birthday Celebration with My Friend’s Place
Help create moments of pure joy and social connection by volunteering at one of their monthly birthday celebrations for drop-in center youth. Serving pizza and cake might seem small, but it creates powerful moments of belonging and reminds young people they matter. No extended training or background check is required for this community role.
Provide a Nourishing Meal with My Friend’s Place
Share the comfort of a healthy meal with young people navigating homelessness. Volunteer groups can fund a breakfast or lunch or directly arrive on-site to serve it. This generosity offers nurturing warmth, care, and connection to drop-in center guests. Meals can be prepared off-site or coordinated directly with their team.
Offer a Transformative Skills Workshop with My Friend’s Place
Share your talents by designing and leading a workshop in creative arts (theatre, writing, or visual media), employment readiness, health and wellness, or essential life skills. These educational programs open new doors for young people and help them gain the tools, confidence, and perspective they need to thrive.
Become Welcome Home Helpers with My Friend’s Place
Form a volunteer group with friends, family, or co-workers to support youth transitioning out of homelessness. When a young person secures housing, this group functions as Welcome Home Helpers by purchasing and compiling a personalized wish list of household essentials. The items are then delivered to the organization by appointment to furnish the client's new space.
Engage in Diverse Community Services with Los Angeles LGBT Center
Join the volunteer network to support a wide array of essential programs caring for the LGBTQ+ community. Vetted individuals can contribute across multiple departments based on current center needs and personal skills. Opportunities include serving meals to seniors or unhoused youth, assisting with community group check-ins, mentoring youth, providing legal and health clinic clerical support, helping with back-office administration, and staffing major summer fundraising and cultural events. All volunteers must complete an initial orientation process to match with open shifts. Requires a volunteer profile setup, orientation, and background check for sensitive roles.
Deliver Animal Assisted Therapy and Operational Support with Love On 4 Paws
Join the team to bring comfort through animal-assisted therapy. For volunteers wishing to participate with their dogs, the process involves an initial evaluation of the dog's temperament, a formal facility audition, and field training during live visits. For animal lovers who do not have a dog but want to help, general volunteer positions are available to assist with special events, handle administrative office tasks, coordinate visit schedules, or photograph therapy teams in action at various community facilities. Handlers must be 18 or older; dogs must be at least 1 year old and pass testing.
Serve as a Volunteer Crisis Listener with Community Helpline, Inc.
Become a Volunteer Crisis Listener to provide a confidential, safe, and empathetic space for individuals facing hardships such as addiction, abusive relationships, depression, or grief. Volunteers answer the regional crisis hotline to offer non-judgmental emotional support and resource referrals. Vetted participants must complete a mandatory two-phase training program, which begins with up to 25 hours of intensive, in-person active listening and communications classes held in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Following classroom completion, volunteers undergo individual mentorship and shadowing in the office for 5 to 9 shifts alongside a seasoned listener before handling calls independently. A one-year commitment of one 3-hour shift per week (or two shifts per week for 6 months) is required. Must be 16 years or older, clear a Live Scan fingerprint background check, and submit an application essay.
Share Skills and Passion with Covenant House California
Share your talents and passions to provide opportunities for healing and growth to young people overcoming homelessness and trafficking. Individuals, corporate teams, and civic groups can design custom volunteer experiences based on what they love to do. Engagement ideas include cooking or hosting a group meal, leading wellness workshops (yoga, meditation, or gardening), providing educational tutoring, or hosting recreational events like birthday celebrations, game nights, movie nights, or beach days. Volunteers can also contribute via professional skills like providing haircuts or organizing community donation drives. Requires completing a volunteer application, orientation, and a background check.
Serve as a Volunteer Crisis Listener with Community Helpline, Inc.
Become a Volunteer Crisis Listener to provide a confidential, safe, and empathetic space for individuals facing hardships such as addiction, abusive relationships, depression, or grief. Volunteers answer the regional crisis hotline to offer non-judgmental emotional support and resource referrals. Vetted participants must complete a mandatory two-phase training program, which begins with up to 25 hours of intensive, in-person active listening and communications classes held in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Following classroom completion, volunteers undergo individual mentorship and shadowing in the office for 5 to 9 shifts alongside a seasoned listener before handling calls independently. A one-year commitment of one 3-hour shift per week (or two shifts per week for 6 months) is required. Must be 16 years or older, clear a Live Scan fingerprint background check, and submit an application essay.
Share Skills and Passion with Covenant House California
Share your talents and passions to provide opportunities for healing and growth to young people overcoming homelessness and trafficking. Individuals, corporate teams, and civic groups can design custom volunteer experiences based on what they love to do. Engagement ideas include cooking or hosting a group meal, leading wellness workshops (yoga, meditation, or gardening), providing educational tutoring, or hosting recreational events like birthday celebrations, game nights, movie nights, or beach days. Volunteers can also contribute via professional skills like providing haircuts or organizing community donation drives. Requires completing a volunteer application, orientation, and a background check.
Support Urban Community Development and Environmental Equity with Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC)
Join residents, artists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders for an open conversation about a proposed mixed-use residential and commercial development designed to support cultural preservation and economic opportunity. The project includes affordable live/work spaces, small business opportunities, and rent-to-own housing pathways for creatives, innovators, and individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Your voice is essential in helping create a development that reflects the history, identity, and future of the community. Open to community individuals and youth groups; minors require parental permission.
Empower the Community: Make a Donation to AbilityFirst Today!
AbilityFirst supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families, by focusing on capabilities and expanding possibilities. They create a welcoming environment where participants feel they belong and are valued. Programs are tailored to individual interests and needs, from childhood to adulthood. Donate Now.
Dreamt of Being a Chef? Join Alexandria’s House Top Chef Volunteer-led, Community-Buidling Food Program
Top Chef is a volunteer-led, community-building food program for the women and families in their Transitional Housing Program. They truly believe that enjoying a meal together creates lasting fellowship for their participants and volunteers. They recognize that their participants may have ruptured familial relationships, and they strive to promote a communal environment through the preparation and sharing of meals. Top Chef allows the families in their program to receive support and a “night off” from cooking, to enjoy a stress-free meal with their children. Top Chef also exposes these women and their families to a wide variety of ethnic food cultures and traditions, thereby expanding their worldly perspectives of food and nutrition.
Want to Give Back by Cooking For Others? Cook On-Site at Alexandria House
Join Alexandria House on-site, cook with your volunteer group in their beautiful and well-appointed Green House Kitchen. Volunteers are responsible for providing all ingredients and preparing the entire dinner. Stay and enjoy the meal you’ve prepared in fellowship with their participating families!.
Want to Give Back by Cooking For Others? Prepare a Meal at Home and Deliver it to Alexandria House
Prepare a meal in your home kitchen and deliver it to Alexandria House for their families to enjoy. They hope you will stay for dinner with their families if you are able. Disposable dinnerware and soft drinks are always welcomed.
Support Alexandria’s House Start Up Sisterhood LA (SUSLA) Program
Start Up Sisterhood LA (SUSLA) is a 13-week entrepreneurship program that provides Alexandria House alumni and community with resources and training to create their own small business. They have multiple SUSLA graduates who own catering businesses, and they will happily share their Vendor Directory with you. Support their Top Chef Program by ordering catering from their SUSLA Graduates! For more information, email Jessica Flores-Garcia Director of Job Development and Entrepreneurship.
Want to Provide Meals for Families at Alexandria House? Place Meal Deliveries from Local Restaurants
Meal Delivery from Local Restaurants: Order for delivery from restaurants in their area! They are located in Koreatown L.A. - surrounded by a wide variety of world-class restaurants. If you choose this option, please order enough food for 30-40 people. Their delivery address is 436 S. Alexandria Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Please include dinnerware, utensils, and soft drinks in your delivery order. Help support local small businesses while providing for their Alexandria House community!.
Want to Provide Meals for Families at Alexandria House? Donate Funds to Sponsor a Dinner
Donating Funds to Sponsor a Dinner. If geography or mobility is an obstacle, please consider sponsoring a dinner by donating funds. By making a donation of $250 (or above) and signing up for a Top Chef date, you’ll allow their team to secure one dinner for their participating families. If this option appeals to you: Please email volunteer@alexandriahouse.org and choose a date (Monday-Thursday). Next, visit alexandriahouse.org/donate and make a donation of $250 (or above). Please add a note that designates your donation for the “Top Chef”. If mailing a check, please include “Top Chef” in the memo.
Featured Projects
Join Big Sunday for Relaxation and Community Care at Wellness Mondays
Big Sunday,
dom@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
If you're feeling like you could use a holiday – or a way to relax and recharge while meeting great, helpful folks -you're going to love Big Sunday's Wellness Mondays. Every Monday at 10 AM, we'll be hosting a different, fantastic sound bath here at Big Sunday HQ. Every Sound Bath is wonderful, designed to help you relax, recharge, and reconnect with yourself and others. They're all incredibly relaxing, totally free, and everyone is invited! We want everyone to be as comfortable as possible and suggest that you bring your own mat, cushion, pillow, blanket, eye cover, etc. – whatever you need to feel relaxed and cozy!
Create Mosaic Suns With Big Sunday at our Art Tuesdays
Big Sunday,
josh@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
Every Tuesday, volunteers join us at Big Sunday HQ to decorate mosaics in the shape of a sun. These beautiful works of art are then donated to schools, shelters, food banks – anywhere in need of a little more sunshine and warmth! This wonderful project is the brainchild of our old friend Cathy Weiss and led by Cathy and our own Big Sunday staff. You don’t need to be a brilliant artist to participate – just friendly and sincere. Just about everybody who’s worked on one tells us the mosaic suns are their favorite Big Sunday project!.
Join Big Sunday for our Accessible Wednesday at 10am Event
Big Sunday,
passion@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
A spin-off of our flagship weekly event TM@10, Accessible Wednesdays @ 10 (AW@10 for short) hosts volunteers every Wednesday to work on hands-on projects to help local nonprofits. The difference? The projects we do on Wednesdays are specially geared to be accessible to folks of all ability levels! Our guests of honor at each AW@10 are groups of volunteers with intellectual and developmental disabilities from some of our partner organizations like AbilityFirst, ETTA, PassAbility, Partners For Potential, and Arroyo Development Services. At Big Sunday, we firmly believe that everyone has something to give, and that everyone has fun helping others! Anyone and everyone is invited to join us for AW@10, whether it’s with a group or as an individual who wants to help out and hang out with some of the best volunteers in the business. From assembling goodie bags for unhoused people and their dogs to decorating pumpkins for underserved kids at Halloween, there’s always something fun going on at AW@10. This week we will be sorting cloths for donations.
Join Big Sunday for our Thursday Morning at 10am Events
Big Sunday,
nicolo@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
TM@10 (Thursday Morning @ 10) is not only one of our favorite programs, but it’s one of our most popular, too! Every Thursday morning from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM, volunteers gather at Big Sunday HQ to work on hands-on projects that help local nonprofits. We’ve assembled birthday gifts for folks in shelters, written letters to soldiers stationed overseas, packed backpacks for ex-gang members starting college, made fleece blankets for shelter kittens, and done about a thousand other fun and meaningful things. In classic Big Sunday fashion, it’s a great way for people to meet new people, work together, and enjoy some laughs while helping someone else. It’s no wonder we have so many regulars who come every single week! We’re regularly joined by groups like AbilityFirst, Partners For Potential, and of course the famous TM Ladies! Projects we’ve worked on have benefited organizations like Covenant House, Carlos Santa Ana Academy, PATH, Exceptional Children’s Foundation, Angelus Plaza, and countless others.
Join Big Sunday for our Food Pantry and Food Fridays @ 10am
Big Sunday,
madison@bigsunday.org,
(323) 549-9944
Big Sunday has given away mountains of food over many years, but now we’re going to make it a weekly event. Our Food Pantry will be open year ‘round and will contain both perishable and non-perishable food. We’re also introducing Food Fridays. Every Friday morning we’ll be open from 10-11:30 to sort and pack food. We’ll also distribute to nonprofits and schools from all over town who will distribute the food to hungry and grateful people in their communities. All ages are welcome. Groups, too! We need volunteers, collectors, donors and sponsors.