Earth Day last week already???

Wow. Almost a whole week gone since Earth Day. Time really flies when you're... working too much? :-) I'm sure you all can relate. Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer my morning and participate in LA Works Earth Day Park clean up event in Elysian Park by Dodger Stadium. I'm sure most of you reading this are aware of the financial difficulties our city is having with the budget. Parks and Recreation have taken a hit. There aren't enough workers to cover all the parks in the city anymore. Overgrowing brush, weeds, graffiti and garbage will unfortunately begin to overrun these areas without people like us pitching in to keep 'em clean. Now you say "I just don't have the time" or "I don't go to parks" and my personal favorite "That's why I pay that stupid city tax I've never had to pay anywhere else I've ever lived!". I get it. Here's an idea. Go to your employer and see if they'll sponsor a volunteer morning. See if you can get 'em to give you a morning off for you and some co-workers to come help out at an LA Works event. Good publicity for them and you get the morning off. I meet two groups just like this on last Thursday, one from Bloomberg and the other from AMC Theaters. Enough hot air from me. I'm preaching to the choir if you're reading this site. I volunteer for totally selfish reasons. I feel good when I do, I meet new people and I get to say I'm part of the solution (which give me the right to complain when there's a problem :-) Spread the word to your friends and family. Be the solution.

A Toast to a Great Match! - taste delicious Spanish wines and dishes while helping out a good cause

On Wednesday, May 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at SLS Hotel, Wines from Spain, will partner with L.A. Works for its 17^th annual Great Match: Vivacious Varietals.Tantalizing Tastes  tasting tour.  Eight of the Los Angeles-area’s most notable restaurants, including THE BAZAAR at SLS by José Andrés, will prepare signature tapas designed to show the versatility of Spanish wines with many styles of cuisine. Guests will have the opportunity to taste more than 130 current release wines, highlighting Spain’s indigenous varietals.

And the sweetest part?  Ticket proceeds from the Great Match will benefit L.A. Works, Los Angeles' premier volunteer action center that empowers Angelenos to address pressing social issues through volunteerism and community collaborations.

Make Great Match a date night or a much deserved night out on the town with your friends or co-workers! To experience a sensory and delicious evening benefiting L.A. Works, visit www.greatmatch.org to purchase $45 tickets.

Volunteer Appreciation Picnic

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched...but felt in the heart."

--Helen Keller

On April 18th, L.A. Works brought together volunteer project leaders and dedicated volunteers for a picnic as a thank you during Volunteer Appreciation Week 2010. For national volunteer appreciation week, we would like to recognize all of our volunteers who have spent time mentoring, tutoring, and visiting with at-risk children, painting and revitalizing our schools and community centers, caring for animals, visiting with the elderly, planting, gardening, trail maintenance, increasing accessibility for individuals with disabilities, and so much more. Your heart, commitment, time, and efforts are truly priceless to Los Angeles.  For more pictures, check out the album on our Facebook Fan page!

BusinessWorks event with Everything Channel at Dayton Heights Elementary School