Heaven On Earth Cat Sanctuary Photos!

We had such a great day of painting! This cat shelter had paint literally pealing off, which wasn't so appealing to prospective cat owners. Thanks to Gladys Fung and Bobbi Marin for leading this one!

Nov/Dec Project Leader of the Month

We Salute our Project Leaders

As this year comes to a close, I want to express L.A. Works' undying gratitude to our 53 adoptive Project Leaders and honor each of them as Nov/Dec Project Leaders of the Month! Without their enthusiam and commitment, L.A. Works would not be able to manage the close to 80 monthly volunteer projects that serve our vast community.

First, I would like to thank Elvin Albino, Christopher Babers, Teresa Castelli (adopted 2), Charlene Chung, Luis De Avila, Tim Dickey, Suzanne Islet, Christina Preiss, Katherine Serrano, Kristel Stern, each of whom have moved on as adoptive leaders. Some have relocated, some are traveling, some have work loads that have increased, but each one has given of themselves in an incredibly inspiring way and we are grateful!

Next, I would like to acknowledge Steven Cota, Jose Dubon, Gladys Fung (adopted 2), David Ho, Mina Mahini, Aurora Maniaul, Michael Masters, Juan Mendoza, & Gypsy Modina. These are new Project Leaders who stepped up immediately and adopted projects. Talk about enthusiasm. We need more folks like them!

Stephanie Cirone, Bobbi Marin, Nancy Tran are a rare breed indeed, each adopting more than one project last year. This kind of tireless drive is a beautiful thing to behold. Visit one of their projects and see why.

As you all know, without Project Leaders, L.A. Works projects don't happen. These adoptive Project Leaders have renewed their adoption for the new year! Veronica Arevalo, Joan Bang, Emily Barclay, Johanna Black, Sandy Boscarino, Sarah Boyd, Veronica Cruz, Yolanda Dave, Christy Dean, Elizabeth Farias, Alvin Fong, Chris Fukunaga, Rafik Ghazarian, Gil Gerstein, LaJeanne Jones, Bryan Kadotani, Mark Kimura, Cynde Knerr, , Mike Kremer, Sherly Lam, Connie Leonard, Kay Meevasin, Kat & Jesse Perez-Fraga, Ed Simon, Clarence Smith, Shelia Taylor, David Trilling, Bona Tucker, Will Wira. L.A. Works is extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated core of volunteers.

The next two Project Leaders deserve our hats off. Chris Martone and Jay Ross, while they are not adoptive Project Leaders, can always be counted on to take up the slack when a project has no leader. Every month, they step up to take one or two. You guys are great!

Lastly, Dave Bloome has offered his expertise to assist L.A. Works forge a new and lasting partnership with The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles. We are confident that with Dave's help, L.A. Works can become a major player in Los Angeles' Disaster Response team.

As you can see, L.A. Works has a great group of hard working adoptive Project Leaders! Again, our gratitude goes out to each and every one of them!

To become one of these go getters, go to the Project Calendar section of the website and sign up for Project Leader Training or to find out the date of the next session.

Teenagers Make A Difference Day A Huge Success!

Congratulations to our teen Organizing Committee who worked extremely hard to make these projects happen! Over 150 volunteers attended the 7 projects across the city and painted, planted, designed and painted murals, decorated Halloween cookies, made Flat Stanleys, played games, repaired wheelchairs, cleaned up beaches and generally had a great time! Our grateful partners, The Burbank Center (BCR), L.A. Leadership Academy, Midnight Mission, Heal The Bay, Santa Monica Baykeepers, Alhambra Convalescent Home, and Wheels for Humanity wish to thank all the volunteers who made this such a fun and meaningful event! Check out some of the photos!

We Need Your Help!

Teenagers Make A Difference Day Needs Your Help!

October 28, 2006

There are several projects for this important event that could use more volunteers. Our teen Organizing Committee has worked extremely hard to make these projects happen, let's show them our support! Everyone can participate and we want to encourage you all to volunteer for these great projects! Click Here to take a look at the different projects we have available and sign up today! Help us make Teenagers Make A Difference Day a huge success!

Calling Teen Volunteers!

Teenagers Make A Difference Day

Teenagers Make A Difference Day is an important national event where teens are mobilized to do something good for their neighborhoods and communities. L.A. Works is excited to be one of the organizations poised to facilitate our city's response to this call. We need 15 youth volunteers (ages 14 to 19) to comprise the Organizing Committee! The Organizing Committee will plan and implement a volunteer service project that will be completed on the Teenagers Make A Difference Day, October 28, 2006. During this first meeting of the Organizing Committee, the teen participants will brainstorm ideas, make goals, select and begin the planning process for the service project. Click Here to sign up for this exciting project.

August Project Leader of the Month

We Salute our Project Leaders

Project Leader of the Month August 2006

Shelia Taylor --

I had to let you know about Shelia Taylor! Not only does Shelia run a monthly project at Friends of Animals, she was a valued member of this year's L.A. Works Day Projects Committee. Because of her expertise in contracting, our L.A. Works Day 2006 Katrina project was a huge success. We could not have done it without her!

Shelia outlines her philosophy:

A. I am an ordinary citizen fulfilling the responsibility that has been given to me my the community.
B. I have now been involved with LA Works for the past two (2) years
C. I became involved with LA Works after reading an article in the Downtown News under the heading, “weekend events”. That event advertisement was for LA Works Day. I spent that Saturday, cleaning along the LA River and painting over graffiti under bridges. I had a fantastic time. Of course on this day people make many friends. By the end of the day I became friends with a young woman by the name of Leng. Her last name escapes me. She’d been involved with LA Works for some time and began sending me notices of volunteers needed. I never signed-up for any of the openings she sent and eventually she stopped. I recall my schedule always being too busy and thinking each time, “you know, I’ll sign-up for the next event she sends, and that went on and on.” SO when she stopped it was like being hit in the stomach and I knew I was ignoring my responsibility to the community. I went to the LA Works website one evening and signed-up to be a Project Leader and it has been one of the best experiences of my life.
D. I volunteer, because it is “my” belief that we have been placed on this earth to serve and assist others.
E. My philosophy of volunteering is “Just Do It”
F. Thank you for caring about our community.

Shelia is a very special person and a project leader to watch! Way to go, Shelia --

This Month's Project Leaders

Thanks to all of our Project Leaders who are leading projects during the month of August.

You are the real leaders in our community! The Staff & Board of Directors of L.A. Works thanks you for being the real superstars of our community!

Albana Farias Alvin Fong Aurora Maniaul Bobbi Marin Bona Tucker Bryan Kadotani Charlene Chung Chris Fukunaga Christy Dean Christina Preiss Christopher Babers Cindy Goss Clarence Smith Connie Leonard Cynde Knerr David Trilling Ed Simon Elvin Albino Emily Barclay Gil Gerstein Grant Wadley Jay Ross Jesse Perez-Fraga Joan Bang Johanna Black Katherine Serrano Kathryn Perez-Fraga Kay Meevasin Kristel Stern LaJeanne Jones Lilia Elias Llami Gutierrez Luis De Avila Margaret Comstock Mark Kimura Melodee Cole Mike Kremer Nancy Tran Rafik Ghazarian Sandy Boscarino Sandy Choi Sarah Boyd Shelia Taylor Sherly Lam Srikant Ranjan Stephanie Cirone Suzanne Islet Suzanne Wiener Teresa Castelli Teri Johnson Timothy Dickey William Wira Veronica Cruz Yolanda Dave Yvonne Foster

Want to join the ranks of L.A.'s most involved citizens? Become an L.A. Works Project Leader. It's easy, it's fun, and it doesn't require a huge amount of your time. Go to the Project Calendar section of the website and sign up for Project Leader Training or email Julie Prejean to find out the date of the next session.

Past Project Leaders Of the Month

August, 2006 - Lilia Elias

June, 2006 - Tammy Simmons

April, 2006 - Mike Kremer

March, 2006 - Christina Preiss

February, 2006 - in loving Memory, Helga Hung

January, 2006 - Sherly Lam

November, 2005 - Clarence Smith

October, 2005 - Joan Bang

September, 2005 - Kat and Jesse Perez-Fraga

August, 2005 - Bryan Kadatoni

July, 2005 - Ken Hagopian

June, 2005 - Laura Bonilla

May, 2005 - Alexa Benson

April, 2005 - April Fields

March, 2005 - Mia Farrell

February, 2005 - Sandy Boscarino

January, 2005 - Andrew Anura Abeyesinghe

December, 2004 - Jacquie Moreno

November, 2004 - Timothy Dickey and Howard Weiner

October, 2004 - Russell Ali

September, 2004 - Suzanne Wiener

August, 2004 - Veronica Cruz

July, 2004 - Margaret Conway

June, 2004 - Ellen Dugas

May, 2004 - Luis de Avila

April, 2004 - Mandana Dayani

Mar, 2004 - Cindy Finocchi

Feb, 2004 - Viet Hoang

Jan, 2004 - Teresa Castelli

Dec. 2003 - Mary Lawler

Nov. 2003 - Jose Valencia

Oct, 2003 - Dustin Manhart

Sept, 2003 - Marc Weinberg

Aug, 2003 - Mark Kimura

July, 2003 - Jay Ross

June, 2003 - Meghan Lee

May, 2003 - Ray Ng

April, 2003 - David Trilling

March, 2003 - Tom Hoctor

February, 2003 - Kayo Shiraishi-Adachi

January, 2003 - Henry Meyer

December, 2002 - Suzanne Studer

November, 2002 - Ed Simon

October, 2002 - Bobbi Marin

July Project Leader of the Month!

We Salute our Project Leaders

Project Leader of the Month July 2006

Lilia Elias --

We need to celebrate the contribution of an outstanding L.A. Works leader! Lilia Elias has become increasing more involved over her 8 year history with L.A. Works, most recently making a commitment as a Dreamsaver facilitator. So far, she has facilitated 4 sessions and has committed to leading two more this month! She is awesome!

Lilia tells us a bit about herself:

My name is Lilia and I’m just a girl in the world.

I enjoy working with children and young adults. Through L.A. Works, I have volunteered at Children of the Night and lead Teamworks at the Aviva Center. However, I have also volunteered at other organizations outside of L.A.Works, like the Valley Trauma Center, L.A. County Probation Dept., Revlon Run/Walk for Breast & Ovarian Cancer and the L.A Gay and Lesbian Center. I have been involved with L.A. Works for approximately 8 years. Which is the beauty of L.A. Works, you can be in a funk where you aren’t able to volunteer for some time, but as soon as your schedule permits, L.A. Works is there for you! There is something for everyone, no matter what your availability or interests are.

When I read about the Dreamsaver project, it was love at first sight. Working at the UCLA Career Center, where great careers begin, I wanted to be a part of a project where GREAT DREAMS begin. Not only does Dreamsaver help kids plan out their dream, it also covers the importance of saving money and recognizing the difference between proactive and reactive behavior. YOU have the power to make your dreams a reality! Sometimes the biggest road block between you and your dream, is you. If one person can walk away from the workshop feeling confident that they can reach their goal, I have made a difference.

That’s what volunteering is about, making a difference by giving what money can’t buy, your heart. Being sincere and being yourself is all you need.

Lilia 's devotion makes her an inspiration to us all! Thanks Lilia --

This Month's Project Leaders

Thanks to all of our Project Leaders who are leading projects during the month of July.

You are the real leaders in our community! The Staff & Board of Directors of L.A. Works thanks you for being the real superstars of our community!

Albana Farias Alvin Fong Aurora Maniaul Bobbi Marin Bona Tucker Bryan Kadotani Charlene Chung Chris Fukunaga Christy Dean Christina Preiss Christopher Babers Cindy Goss Clarence Smith Connie Leonard Cynde Knerr David Trilling Ed Simon Elvin Albino Emily Barclay Gil Gerstein Grant Wadley Jay Ross Jesse Perez-Fraga Joan Bang Johanna Black Katherine Serrano Kathryn Perez-Fraga Kay Meevasin Kristel Stern LaJeanne Jones Lilia Elias Llami Gutierrez Luis De Avila Margaret Comstock Mark Kimura Melodee Cole Mike Kremer Nancy Tran Rafik Ghazarian Sandy Boscarino Sandy Choi Sarah Boyd Shelia Taylor Sherly Lam Srikant Ranjan Stephanie Cirone Suzanne Islet Suzanne Wiener Teresa Castelli Teri Johnson Timothy Dickey William Wira Veronica Cruz Yolanda Dave Yvonne Foster

Want to join the ranks of L.A.'s most involved citizens? Become an L.A. Works Project Leader. It's easy, it's fun, and it doesn't require a huge amount of your time. Go to the Project Calendar section of the website and sign up for Project Leader Training or email Julie Prejean to find out the date of the next session.

Past Project Leaders Of the Month

June, 2006 - Tammy Simmons

April, 2006 - Mike Kremer

March, 2006 - Christina Preiss

February, 2006 - in loving Memory, Helga Hung

January, 2006 - Sherly Lam

November, 2005 - Clarence Smith

October, 2005 - Joan Bang

September, 2005 - Kat and Jesse Perez-Fraga

August, 2005 - Bryan Kadatoni

July, 2005 - Ken Hagopian

June, 2005 - Laura Bonilla

May, 2005 - Alexa Benson

April, 2005 - April Fields

March, 2005 - Mia Farrell

February, 2005 - Sandy Boscarino

January, 2005 - Andrew Anura Abeyesinghe

December, 2004 - Jacquie Moreno

November, 2004 - Timothy Dickey and Howard Weiner

October, 2004 - Russell Ali

September, 2004 - Suzanne Wiener

August, 2004 - Veronica Cruz

July, 2004 - Margaret Conway

June, 2004 - Ellen Dugas

May, 2004 - Luis de Avila

April, 2004 - Mandana Dayani

Mar, 2004 - Cindy Finocchi

Feb, 2004 - Viet Hoang

Jan, 2004 - Teresa Castelli

Dec. 2003 - Mary Lawler

Nov. 2003 - Jose Valencia

Oct, 2003 - Dustin Manhart

Sept, 2003 - Marc Weinberg

Aug, 2003 - Mark Kimura

July, 2003 - Jay Ross

June, 2003 - Meghan Lee

May, 2003 - Ray Ng

April, 2003 - David Trilling

March, 2003 - Tom Hoctor

February, 2003 - Kayo Shiraishi-Adachi

January, 2003 - Henry Meyer

December, 2002 - Suzanne Studer

November, 2002 - Ed Simon

October, 2002 - Bobbi Marin

L.A. Works Day Tremendous Success

Thanks to everyone who was a part of L.A. Works Day 2006 — our most successful day of corporate and community service yet!

Read about L.A. Works Day in the news - past and present! Click here for articles about the impact of L.A. Works Day.

New Project - Meal Service for the Homeless in Pasadena

Join us for our latest new project - in Pasadena! On the last Saturday of every month with new agency partner Union Station Foundation

Meal Service for the Homeless


Description: Have some fun in the Kitchen while making a difference! Grab an apron and come help us cook & serve the homeless a great lunch at the Union Station Foundation. Attend a one-hour Orientation meeting, and then we'll all head for the kitchen to help prepare lunch under the supervision of a Staff Cook for the homeless residents of Pasadena.

Union Station offers emergency and transitional housing for individuals and families, hot meals, career development, job placement, health care, case management services and substance abuse recovery support.

Every year, they serve more than 150,000 meals and provide 31,000 nights of shelter to their clients. All of Union Station’s programs and services are free of charge and designed to help program participants find permanent solutions to homelessness. The work of Union Station Foundation is carried out through the combined efforts of a skilled professional stafff, and the generosity of hundreds of volunteers like yourself! Please join us!

Click here to sign up!

L.A. Works Appears in Los Angeles Business Journal

New Model of Corporate Philanthropy Combines Donations, Sweat Equity

Click here to read this story as it appeared in the May 15th edition of the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Hot Project: New Tutoring Project started with Kipp:LA-Prep

Tutoring and Mentoring for Superstar Students

KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory School (KIPP LA Prep) is a charter middle school which currently has 270 students in grades 5-7. It is located in Lincoln Heights (3 miles Northeast of Downtown LA), and serves the economically disadvantaged children of this community.

KIPP LA Prep is modeled after the free open-enrollment KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) academies in Texas and New York, where the students, parents, and staff are all highly committed to prepare students with the academic skills, intellectual habits and character traits that are necessary for future success in high school, college, and the competitive working world beyond. This public upper-elementary and middle school model has proven to be extraordinarily successful in improving academic and personal growth in KIPP students from under-resourced communities around the United States. Students at KIPP LA Prep work harder than most of their public school peers, and do not enjoy any shortcuts in their road to success in academic achievement and personal leadership. They are in school from 7:30 A.M. until 5:00 P.M Monday through Friday, and every other Saturday from 9:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M., spending 90 minutes each day on math and language arts, with an additional hour devoted to reading; one hour on social studies; one hour on science; and one hour of fine arts or physical education.

Part of the reason for the success of KIPP LA Prep students lies in the tutoring and mentorship that students receive at Saturday school from volunteer tutors in the community. Please sign up to help continue the success of KIPP LA Prep by tutoring these incredible kids, and to make a difference in the lives of these children.

Click here to sign-up to help tutor these extraordinary kids

Summer Let's Read Sessions start in May - SIgn up Now

Want to make a real impact on Kids' lives? L.A. Works' Let's Read Program is a program whose purpose is to provide kids with the tools to help them reach their dreams. We work individually and as a group, with kids' school-related materials, as well as try to expose them to other topics that they may not otherwise encounter. If you like kids and wish to develop a relationship with one or a few of them, this program can be one of our most rewarding.

Volunteers in this program must commit to the full 10 week session on consecutive Saturday mornings May 20 - July 29 from 10:00 a.m. - noon. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Volunteers will develop a mentoring relationship with kids during the ten week semester.

The Let's Read program takes place at two locations:

Pueblo Del Rio in central Los Angeles. Click here to sign up! If you've never volunteered for Let's Read at Pueblo Del Rio, you must also sign up for the orientation session for new Let's Read volunteers on May 13. Click here to sign up for orientation.

Mar Vista Gardens in Culver City. Click here to sign up for the 10-week session, May 20 - July 29.

New Long Term Project "All About Me" - Starts June 10 for six sessions (twice a month)

"All About Me" is a 6-session project geared toward pre-teen/teenage girls (junior high school/high school). The project combines, journalism, collages, photographs and drawing all into one.

Teen Girls at LA Family Housing's Sydney M Irmas Transitional Living Center, will be participating in the project. The girls living at the center will work with volunteers to create a book about themselves and illustrate it through various forms of media.

The purpose of the project is to help girls define who they are today and who they want to be in the future. The book will encourage them to reflect on how they came to be the person they are today and inspire them to become the person they want to be. The goal is to get the participants thinking about how they define themselves simplistically (i.e. favorite color) and holistically (i.e. fondest memory, what do you want to be when you grow up) and be able to illustrate that through various media.

The project schedule will look something like this:
June 10 – Introduction, orientation, and documentation of thoughts (Questions for the “All About Me” book will be provided at 1st meeting)
June 24 – Create collages (magazines and construction paper will be provided)
July 8 – Introduction to photography (disposable cameras will be provided – one camera for 2 people)
July 22 – Drawing (girls turn in cameras for photo processing)
Aug 5 - Put it all together (printed photos returned to girls)
Aug 19 - Sharing and Reflection

To provide a mentoring relationship to the girls as they work through this project, we are urging volunteers to sign up for all six sessions. Please sign up for each occurrence separately by going to each date on the website. They project takes place on Saturday afternoons from 2-3:30 every two weeks.

The LA Family Housing, Sydney M. Irma Transitional Living Center strives to provide a safe, caring, and service-rich environment that helps homeless families and individuals rebuild their lives. The agency has 20 facilities serving over 7,300 people annually in eight different regions of Los Angeles.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.

Click here to sign up today. Please try to sign up for all six sessions!

Hot Project of the Week - Painting at Challengers Boys and Girls Club, Saturday, April 22

L.A. Works Day 2006, is on June 3rd! Here's a great opportunity to help with L.A.'s most exciting day of corporate & community service. Join the L.A. Works staff and the Chairs of the Projects Committee for a "run through" project where we will begin to make the magic happen.

On L.A. Works Day, we will be painting the fence around the Challengers Boys and Girls Club to give them a fresh new look. We need your help priming the fench in preparation for the painting! Without your help, this great facelift for the Club will not be possible!

Click here to sign up for this fun, hands-on, project.

Double the Fun with Two New Projects

Saturday mornings we've got two new fun projects available for sign-up on our website. Help us make these two new ones a success by signing up today! Choose which way you want to have fun -- with kids... or nuns!

FUN WITH NUNS
Villa Community - Sisters of Social Service
ENCINO
4th Saturday of each month – 10 am - noon
April 29, May 27, June 24,

If you a magician, love to do tricks, can sing, dance, puppeteer or have special talents, you are exactly what we are looking for. No glue, scissors or paper crafts allowed!!

Come out and have “Fun with Nuns”. Enjoy singing, bingo, card games, music and much more with women of wisdom. They are all retired professionals, bright and full of life. Come out to celebrate, laugh and enjoy an atmosphere with your not so typical senior group of women from the ages of 83-97.

We will create an interactive, entertaining, uplifting, energetic environment. So bring your energy, love for seniors and let's have a fun-filled afternoon with the “fun nuns“.

Click here to Sign up

FUN ARTS & CRAFTS PLUS NUTRITIONAL SNACKS WITH CHILDREN!
CENTER FOR LIFELONG LEARNERS
DOWNTOWN/CENTRAL
9-11 am
4th Saturday of every month.
Upcoming Dates: April 22, May 27

Hello! Hello! These children from Center for Lifelong Learners are all ready to have you come join them on some neat art and craft activities! These art and craft projects are easy, simple, and fun!! Art projects may include lantern-making, paper plate finger puppets, pinwheel, handprint rainbow, origami and much more. In addition to these creative projects, half an hour will be focusing on nutrition! Within a short half hour, you will be assisting these children on how to fix good, nutritional snacks! These two fun-filled hours will definitely go by quickly! The Center for Lifelong Learners’ mission is to provide individuals of all ages the learning tools to achieve their highest potential at home, in school or as proactive community members. Make a difference to a child’s life today! The age group of these children is 8 to 15 years old. Come join us!

Click here to sign up.

15th Birthday of L.A. Works!

A Letter from Ann Burroughs
L.A. Works Executive Director

Dear Friends,

This year marks the 15th birthday of L.A. Works! We’ve been mobilizing L.A.’s volunteer power since 1991! Happy birthday, L.A. Works!

As we move into this special year of service inspired by the 20th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, and in honor of the life of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, we are reminded that our capacity as individuals and as a nation to be great lies in our willingness to serve others.

L.A. Works is predicated on the fact that engaged citizens such as those galvanized by the hurricanes in the Gulf region, or those who volunteer each week at their local shelter or food bank, are the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy, and that effective volunteer action is a path to broader and deeper civic involvement.

By any measure, we have come a long way. L.A. Works is now our city’s action tank for community and corporate service. We are the “home-base” for over 10,000 volunteers and almost 100 corporate volunteer programs. We are the hub for programs that impact the most pressing social issues in Los Angeles, and a network of service to almost 600 community organizations impact. Our volunteers have refurbished over 300 schools, day-care centers, playgrounds and parks, and our murals have brightened street corners and schools across the city. We have more project leaders than ever before, and our monthly calendar of volunteer projects has reached a record high of 125.

And it is you, our volunteers who we must thank for this. Through your dedicated commitment to service, you have re-imagined volunteerism and energized a new generation of volunteer activist and created a new movement for social change in our city.

But there is a lot more to do – and an ever clearer mandate that we must do it!

Please click here to read about some of the programs and plans we have in place to scale up our potential and to forge a new community and corporate compact for our city.

We will need your help to do this – your volunteer hours as well as your financial support!

We have now launching a 15th Anniversary Campaign to raise $45,000 on-line – $3,000 for every year we’ve been in existence. We are asking you to ask your friends to support your commitment to volunteering and service,.

We now have the tools that will allow you to create your own personal fundraising webpage and tell your friends, family and colleagues the impact volunteering with L.A. Works has had on your life. We know you've been working with L.A. Works to change this city for the better - now help us to help you - by creating even more opportunities to volunteer in the coming year.

Creating this page is fun, easy, and personal. Read more about how to get started at our site at firstgiving.com/laworks. Thanks for your support!

L.A. Works Day Registration Now Open!

Give a Day to LA!
June 3, 2006

Be a part of the largest and most exhilarating day of corporate and community service Los Angeles has ever seen. Register yourself, join an existing team, or create your own team of family, friends, or co-workers.

L.A. Works Day 2006 will send forth a throng of helping hands across this city to renew, refurbish, and restore! With paint brushes, hammers, and garden rakes held high, our volunteers will spread a rainbow of support to area schools, after school programs, and historic landmarks - touching children of all ages, patients in hospice care, & victims of disaster. For full details and to sign up, click here. Don't miss it!

Civic Involvement Opportunity!

For more info and to register: www.citizenshealthcare.gov
Or phone 800-679-3684

New Orleans - a half a year after Katrina

By Larry Deckel
Director of Programs
L.A. Works

On February 16th – 18th I traveled to Louisiana as a representative of Hands on Network to consult with Volunteer Baton Rouge on starting up their hands-on programming as "Hands on Baton Rouge." The folks in Baton Rouge were wonderful in every way, and treated me to the Southern hospitality I've missed since leaving Louisiana in the late 70s. They are very enthusiastic in carrying on the work of the network, and appreciated my sharing with them the remarkable work our Project Leaders and volunteers have been doing here at L.A. Works.

I took advantage of the trip to trek over to New Orleans, to get a first-hand look at how the city is doing, nearly six months after Hurricane Katrina.

What I saw in New Orleans left me emotionally exhausted, and broke my heart. Vast sections of the city have been rendered uninhabitable. The once vibrant crescent city now has an uneasy silence, as entire districts have taken on characteristics of a ghost town. While I was initially struck by the site of individual houses, roofs blown off, shuttered windows and doors, trees toppled upon them, refuse and trash littering their yards — the full enormity of the situation sank in as I saw entire blocks, streets, and neighborhoods destroyed. While many structures still stand, a faint yellow line representing the high water mark tells the story of a city held captive underwater. Everything in these homes was destroyed. Furniture, appliances, clothing, decor, paintings, photos — even the walls themselves, were ravaged by the floodwaters that rushed in as the levees broke. As I drove through these devastated neighborhoods, I was amazed to find that even six months later, electricity was still unavailable; traffic lights weren't in operation, and few residents had returned — there was so little to return to. You couldn't go "home" — as your home was now something you couldn't live in. A few industrious folks have set up RVs and trailers in the front yards, but most simply don't know where or how to start. Many will never return.

The city faces enormous challenges in reviving itself. It's unclear whether neighborhoods will be mowed down and deserted, or how or when neighborhoods that choose to revive themselves will do so. The pictures shown on this page cannot convey the overall impact of damage this catastrophic.

I visited a few tent cities that are currently housing workers and volunteers who are engaged in the Herculean task of clearing the damaged homes. Ben Brubaker, a Volunteer Coordinator for Emergency Communities has set up the "Made with Love Cafe" a volunteer operation feeding anyone who is hungry each day, and providing an outlet for clothing, first-aid and other necessities in the nearly leveled St. Bernard Parish adjacent to New Orleans. They are looking for volunteers who can bring their own tents and assist with their delivery of services. It was bone-chilling cold the day I visited, but these great volunteers were delivery nutritious hot meals to anyone with a need. If you'd like to donate, or volunteer, please visit their website at www.emergencycommunities.org/

As many of you know, the difficulty in volunteering in New Orleans has been a lack of housing for volunteers. Living in a tent city is not easy! Now that it's clear that volunteers will be needed in the Gulf Region for many, many months to come, the Hands on Network is facilitating the start-up of "Hands on New Orleans." I visited with the small, devoted staff there who are currently engaged in building bunk beds at the First Street United Method Church to house volunteers each week who will assist with rebuilding efforts. If you're interested in going to New Orleans to lend your support, they will be ready to begin housing and feeding volunteers (who will have to arrange their own travel expenses) in April.

The majority of the work that volunteers will be doing in New Orleans is mucking and mold abatement of houses. This is grueling, rigorous work, and not for the faint of heart. Volunteers will be gutting the damaged interiors of houses, emptying them of possessions and knocking out plaster or drywall to take the house back down to the frame. Once the house is down to its frame, volunteers will treat the remaining wood to remove and prevent regrowth of the mold that has formed. While this is hard physical work, it is immensely satisfying and a good way to gain a sense of instant results. Talk about "Hands On." Once a house has been 'gutted' in this manner, residents can begin the rebuilding process. It's a start! In addition to this, HONO will be setting up projects to benefit the community including tutoring and mentoring in local schools, working at distribution centers, cooking free meals for community members, etc.

If you are interested in getting scheduled for a week's service in New Orleans, please contact Sara Schnitzer, Volunteer Coordinator, Hands On New Orleans — 1-800-977-5589 or email
volunteerinquiry-neworleans@handsonnetwork.org . Let her know you are part of L.A. Works and would like more information, and to schedule yourself for a week in April or beyond. They are open to the participation of groups and/or individuals.

What happened in New Orleans is a tragedy that will affect that city for many years to come. Tourism is making a slow recovery in the French Quarter, and Mardi Gras' persistent spirit is creating the strange spectacle of public partying and parades in the higher elevations, while the surrounding lowlands near the Lake and in the lower ninth ward echo in grim stillness. What can I say — it's New Orleans.

While it's no longer in the news here in Los Angeles – the generosity of volunteers will play a major part in the city's recovery efforts. For those of you with the resources and time to travel to New Orleans, they will heartily welcome your support. If you're unable to go, but would like to send funds to assist with our volunteer mobilization efforts, please go to: www.handsonnetwork.org/donate/form and click on the donation link for the Hurricane Volunteer Mobilization Fund.

Hot Project of the Week - Adopt a Highway - February 25

A clean ocean starts with clean streets and sidewalks. That's why we meet once a month to clean up a stretch of Lincoln Blvd in Marina Del Rey.

Come out and meet new people as you get some exercise and do rewarding volunteer work that will have a lasting effect on the health of the bay.

There's a lot of litter out there on Lincoln - come help us keep it out of the storm drain and out of the Santa Monica Bay. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.

Click here to sign up!

New Project! Gardening at Historical Home

Here's a great new project for volunteers with a green thumb who live in the S. Pasadena / Highland Park area! Enjoy the nice weather!

Volunteers are needed to work in the shady, waterwise garden which surrounds the 100-year-old home of Charles Lummis. The garden is in need of maintenance, and volunteers would be guided by three experienced gardeners who have worked here for many years.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own small gardening tools and gloves, though some will be available onsite if you do not have any to bring.

Volunteers must be at least 8 years of age. Volunteers who are 8-14 must be accompanied by a parent.

This project will take place on the 2nd Sunday of every month and will start on March 12th. Click here to sign up!

L.A. Works Volunteers invited to free Dr. Phil Tapings

L.A. Works Volunteers can get free tickets to taping of the Dr. Phil Show.

If you'd like free tix, contact:
Wendell Hubbard at Wendell_Hubbard@paramount.com or 323-956-3319. Just tell him you're with L.A. Works. Bring as many guests as you'd like as they like to book folks in groups.

Here's the details:

Dr. Phil tapes at Paramount Pictures. The Audience entrance is located at 860 N. Gower in Hollywood California.

Time:
Dr. Phil tapes two shows a day, Tuesday through Thursday. Given availability, your group can choose which time they would like to attend.

A Show:
Arrive no later than 8 am
Plan on being with us until around 12 p.m.

B Show:
Arrive no later than 10 a.m.
Plan on being with us until around 3 p.m.

*You may bring snacks. Please make sure everything remaining is disposable (no food or beverages are allowed in the studio).

Dress Code:
*PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE, DARK SOLID COLORS.
Please do not wear white, beige, jeans, hats, uniforms or identical clothing. The studio is extremely air conditioned, so we suggest that you dress warmly. We find that women are most comfortable in a pantsuit or a blazer.

Security Check and Metal Detector:
No electronics, including cell phone’s, pagers, palm pilots, and cameras will be allowed into the studio. Please leave those items in addition to any books, magazines or notebooks in your car.

Special Assistance:
*Wheelchairs, hearing devices or other special needs.
So that we can fully accommodate your group, please inform us of any special needs that your guests may have prior to attending the show.

All members of Dr. Phil’s studio audience must be over the age of 18years old and have a valid Photo ID.

New Project! Fun With Toddlers (4th Saturday of every month)

Join us for a fun filled afternoon spent with the children ages 2 through 5 at the Sydney M. Irmas Transitional Living Facility in North Hollywood. Once a month L.A. Works will visit the facility with their volunteers to engage the toddlers in arts and crafts and educational activities. Our goal is to help the children build the basic skills that they will need in order to become successful students. As volunteers, you'll be briefed and assist in carrying out the afternoon's activity. It will typically include a main project, followed by some free time with the children to play games, read stories, etc. If any advance preparation is needed on your part, you'll be emailed with specific project details.

All upbeat and outgoing volunteers are welcome to sign up, but all volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.

LA Family Housing's Sydney M Irmas Transitional Living Center, provides safe and secure housing for clients who come from temporary and emergency shelters, and require additional time to achieve sufficient independence to secure permanent housing. The center provide services to families with both small children and teens, and programs include life skills for youth, sports for children and youth, arts and crafts for children and youth, baby and child care, mother and toddler yoga. The Sydney M. Irmas Transitional Living Center is the only facility in the Valley that accepts and provides long-term shelter to toddlers and their families. LA Family Housing has 20 facilities serving over 7,300 people annually in eight different regions of Los Angeles.

Click here to sign up!

In Loving Memory - Helga Hung (1974-2006)

It is with great sorrow that we share with you the news that Helga Hung, a loving and devoted L.A. Works Project Leader has passed away. Helga had been leading regular projects for us each month with one of our agency partners, Reading to Kids, and died on January 14, 2006, in a car accident while returning from leading her monthly reading club.

Many of you know Helga through her participation in L.A. Works Day. She was a leader at the Magnolia School in 2004, and a task captain at the Ann Street School for L.A. Works Day 2005. She is remembered fondly by those who worked with her on those occasions. In leading her first L.A. Works Day she humbly had remarked that "I didn't realize it was going to be this hard!" but impressed her co-volunteers with the precision of her planning -- supplies layed out perfectly, buckets ready to go, and a smile that could light up a room.

Helga had a passion for kids, and led many projects that impacted their lives. In addition to her deep commitment to Reading to Kids (where she led an extraordinary 38 sessions), she also led L.A. Works projects at Shelter First at the Ford Hotel, and most recently planned and coordinated a wonderful and raucous Christmas Party with her friend and co-leader Sherly Lam for the teens at Angel's Flight.

Helga has touched the lives of so many kids in Los Angeles, and in doing so, touched the hearts of the many L.A. Works volunteers who have been inspired by her. Her many friends at Reading to Kids have created a tribute page to her memory. We encourage you to visit.

All of us here at L.A. Works will miss Helga and send our prayers and thoughts to her family. She lives on in our hearts and her smile will never leave us.

Become a facilitator for new Dream Saver program

Every child has a dream. Some hope to become doctors and teachers. Others want to own a business or even become President of the United States. Whatever their dream is, making it come true depends on setting goals, developing a plan and working hard.

The Dream Saver Program introduces kids, aged 8 – 11, to some of the life skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in life. Created by Ameriquest Soaring Dreams, in partnership with FranklinCovey, Dream Saver helps young children learn about the information and tools they need to set goals and develop a plan for their future.

Using workbooks, role-playing and other fun activities, Dream Saver kids experience how the choices they make can have an impact on their lives.

L.A. Works is looking for volunteers who will train to be facilitators of this program. Ideal facilitators will be people who enjoy working with kids, are comfortable as public speakers and are not afraid to have fun in a learning environment. Facilitators will be paired up to work together in presenting this program — so if you have a friend or co-worker you enjoy working with, both of you should sign up to attend! If you don't have a partner, don't worry — we will pair you up with another facilitator at the training!

The one-day training will take place on Saturday, March 25 from 8:30 – 3:30. Facilitators will receive professional instruction, curriculum, and all the supplies needed to bring this fun and informative program to at-risk kids in after school programs in Los Angeles County.

Facilitators must attend this one-time training, and then agree to lead two to four Dream Saver sessions over the course of 2006. L.A. Works will schedule these sessions on various dates and locations throughout Los Angeles and will work with facilitators to meet their availability and schedule.

Click here for more info and to sign up!

New Volunteer Project added to our Calendar

Activities with Teens (Children of the Night)
Van Nuys

Children of the Night is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1979, dedicated to assisting children between the ages of 11 and 17 who are forced to prostitute on the streets for food and a place to sleep. Residents follow a highly structured program that includes attending an on-site school where they study a curriculum individually tailored to their specific needs so they can reach age- appropriate grade levels in all subjects before leaving.

With the help of caseworkers, each youngster formulates a "life plan" and attends independent living classes, as well as participating in sports and recreational activities plus evening workshops in crafts, yoga, 12-step meetings, poetry, AIDS education, and more.

LA Works has the exciting opportunity to lead fun and enriching evening workshops for 12-15 of these teens. The Project Leader will have a planned activity for each session, and volunteers are needed to help facilitate. Please come join us in this unique volunteer opportunity!

This project will take place on the 3rd Thursday of every month starting January 19.

Click here to sign-up

Disaster Response Exercise

Help L.A. prepare for a terrorist attack!

Feb 2

7:00 am - Noon
Two Locations:
Glendale
Long Beach

How would Los Angeles cope with a major county-wide catastrophe? L.A. needs hundreds of volunteers to role-play as disaster victims to help train county first responders (doctors, nurses, fire and police personnel, paramedics and other health professionals) in a major simulation of a bio terrorist attack. Drills will take place on Thursday, February 2nd from 7:00 am SHARP to noon in both Glendale and Long Beach.

There are no age restrictions for this volunteer opportunity so feel free to sign-up your entire family! This event is being coordinated with the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles.

To sign-up:

For this special event there is a two step process to volunteer:

1) Click on the Have Agency Contact Me button. (This will notify the Volunteer Center that you are potentially interested in volunteering).

2) You will get an email with an Internet Link instructing you where you MUST go to complete your sign-up online. Be SURE to read this email and follow the directions to complete your sign up for this event.

Click here to be taken to the L.A. Works website and the referral link.

Thanks for your support in helping to keep our county safe!

You're Invited! Please join us on January 29

Please join us on January 29 at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens to celebrate the New Year and to honor the L.A. Works volunteers who are this year's recipients of the President's Volunteer Service Award.

This is our chance to recognize and thank the individuals who have demonstrated a sustained committment to voluneer service during the last twelve months. The award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers make to our Nation.

We'll also be recognizing our outstanding project leaders, and volunteers who have made special contributions during the last year.

Bring friends and family to make new friends, reconnect with old friends, and learn more about L.A. Works and our plans for 2006.

There will be cake, light snacks and a special prize -- if you've volunteered with L.A. Works during 2005 you'll be eligible to win an Apple Ipod Nano! Drawing will be at 3:30 pm (you must be present to win).

We hope to see as many of our volunteers and Project Leaders as possible, so we can personally thank you for the amazing job you've all done transforming Los Angeles in the past year.

Click here to RSVP. (log into your account, and click on SIGN ME UP).

Save the Date

Hot Project of the Week

Do you like bikes? We need more volunteers to help with this great project on January 14 from 10:00 - 3:00. This is a fun project for anyone who enjoys working with their hands:

Project Information:
Each month Bike Out gathers volunteers to repair, fix, and tune-up donated bikes. No experience is necessary, but experienced mechanics are more than welcome! Here's a chance to help others while learning bike maintenance yourself! Wear grubby clothes. Pizza will be served!

Bike Out's mission is to promote health and foster self-confidence in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and their straight supporters through mountain bike expeditions. Teenagers have a hard time growing up. LGBT teens have the added pressure of growing up without social approval.

Some LGBT youth are harassed so severely they are forced out of their schools and sometimes their homes. Bike Out provides a safe place for young people to be themselves.

The bikes repaired by volunteers will help raise funds for Bike Out’s youth programming through the Recyclery.

To sign up for this project, click here.