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!