Westwood United Methodist Church Mission Team

Volunteer Opportunities

Extend Scattered for Service year round -- a selection of individual volunteer opportunities with organizations that participated in the 2007 Scattered for Service alternative gift catalog. Other church members already volunteer with these groups. See the individual contact information, or look at the web sites.


AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) www.apla.org Volunteer Information: Jim Williams jwilliams@apla.org or 213-201-1379	Get Involved! -AIDS Walk LA The Youth and the youthful of WUMC joined in the 10k AIDS Walk on 10/21/07. Together with their sponsors they raised more than $2000 for the organization! Become a walker, sponsor a walker, or volunteer to help facilitate this annual event. -Office Services: Volunteers are needed Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM to assist in various aspects of office services. Duties include data entry, phone banking and filing. -Necessities of Life Program: NOLP provides free groceries to low-income qualifying individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS. Clients of NOLP also receive Nutrition and Treatment Adherence education. Volunteer at a center, host a food drive or donate food or books. -LA Marathon: Is the AIDS Walk LA too short? Join a team to raise money and awareness by running the LA Marathon. APLA provides training and preparation for the marathon.

The Alzheimer's Association www.alzla.org Volunteer Information: Judy Wunsch 323-938-3370	Get Involved! -Helping Hand: Volunteer in the office assisting with clerical tasks or data entry. -Helpline: Receive training to respond to telephone calls requesting information or referral services. -Family Consultant: Be trained to provide phone consultation to families planning for the care of a loved one. -Speakers Bureau Be trained to speak about Alzheimer's, related diseases and the Association to the public.

Amigos de los Rios (Amigos) www.amigosdelosrios.org Volunteer Information: Nate Baird nathan@amigosdelosrios.org 626-444-8665	Get Involved! -Become an Advocate: Organize and train local groups of community residents to advocate on behalf of their own neighborhood. -Gather Information: Conduct research or lead focus groups to determine the needs of the San Gabriel Valley community. -Share your Ideas: Work with designers, ecologists and historians to plan building and restoration projects for the Emerald Necklace.

Big Brothers Big Sisters www.bbbslaie.org Volunteer Information: Lisa Collins lcollins@bbbslaie.org 213-213-2427	Get Involved! -Become a Big Brother or Sister and make a little moment of BIG magic Volunteer in one of our two mentoring programs below: -School Based Program: Meet with your matched Little Brother or Little Sister during school hours. Meet one hour per week for a minimum of one year at a public elementary or middle school. -Community Based Program: Become an adult mentor and meet with your Little Brother or Sister outside of work and school hours. This special relationship is supported by a trained case manager, or Match Support Specialist.

C.A.R.E. (Cat/Canine Assistance, Referral & Education) www.care4pets.org Volunteer Information: Maria Porter maria@care4pets.org 818-779-0865	Get Involved! -Help "Hot-Line": Provide information on animal rescue resources or counseling for problems regarding pets. -Help at Adoption Fairs: Transport animals from foster homes for weekend adoption fairs. -Be a Foster Home: C.A.R.E. will supply food, kitty litter, veterinary care and cover other expenses while you take care of a pet waiting for adoption. -Deliveries to Our Sanctuary: Use your truck to help deliver donated food and kitty litter to the Palmdale Sanctuary.

Guide Dogs of America www.guidedogsofamerica.org Volunteer Information: mail@guidedogsofamerica.org 818-362-5834	Get Involved! -Raise a puppy: Provide a growing puppy with basic obedience, nurturing and lots of love. -At the office: Help with mailings and general office work. -At special events: Help at special events and booths. -Speaker: Provide public education as a tour guide or speaker.

Habitat for Humanity International www.habitatla.org Volunteer Information: www.habitatla.org > Volunteers	Get Involved! -Construction: Join a work crew for a home under construction. -Office and Administration: Answer phones, maintain the volunteer database, help with mailings and assist on other projects in your local Habitat headquarters. -Serve on a committee: The Faith Relations Committee takes the message of Habitat to churches for financial, volunteer and prayer support. The Family Selection Committee assists during the selection process, processes applications and performs home visits.

Heifer International www.heifer.org Volunteer Information: www.heifer.org > home > get involved >volunteer	Get Involved! -Learning Center Volunteer: Ceres, California Experience working examples of the type of sustainable agriculture Heifer supports around the world by tending an organic garden, assisting in the gentle care and treatment of livestock or helping to facilitate educational programs. -Community Volunteering: Passing on the Gift is a Heifer cornerstone. Spread the word about Heifer's work and sustainable solutions in your own school, workplace, club, congregation, or community.

Meals on Wheels of West L.A. (MOW-WLA) Volunteer Information: Ellen Horwitz 310-208-3439	Get Involved! -Drivers Needed: Deliver the meals to the clients in your area. -Assist with Delivery: Don't drive? No access to a car? Accompany a driver to assist with local deliveries. -Clerical Help: Help in the office. -Special Projects: Participate in holiday gift drives. -Food Drives: Organize a drive for shelf-stable foods to be included in earthquake kits. -Homebound Friend: Please call 310-208-3439 between 9 AM and 1 PM if you know someone who could use MOW service

Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) www.doctorswithoutborders.org	Get Involved!

Nothing but Nets www.nothingbutnets.net or www.umc.org/nets	Get Involved! -NET Drive: Start a fundraiser with your youth group, scout troop, or other community organization. Make it a class project or a sports team goal. You can find materials to support your drive on the website.

PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) www.epath.org Volunteer Information: Sally Evans sallye@epath.org 323-644-2207	Get Involved! -PATHCooks Program: Come prepare and serve a homecooked meal to PATH residents. (Join the WUMC Mission Team for the next PATH breakfast service project!) -PATHFinders Job Center: Assist homeless individuals in gaining job skills -PATHMall: Support homeless individuals as they seek assistance at the PATH Regional Homeless Center. -PATHWays Transitional Housing: Facilitate a life skills workshop for residents -Rhonda Fleming Family Center: Become a reading-buddy or tutor for a homeless child.

P.L.L.U.S. Program: "Life in Spite of Pills"/h4> www.pllus.org Volunteer Information: Ann Samson AnnSamson@ymcala.org 310-477-1511	Program Elements -Literature: Many participants are referred by local neurologists who recognize the benefits of exercise in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. P.L.L.U.S. produces and distributes program literature to raise awareness of this benefit and the P.L.L.U.S. program in order to reach out to others struggling with this disease. -Support Groups: The support group helps our participants deal with the emotional struggles of Parkinson's Disease. -Program Expansion: The Westside Family YMCA and the Westwood Village Rotary Club have the goal to expand the program to other locations to reach additional individuals. -Cardio Program: Due to the limited mobility of the participants, the cardio portion of the exercise program must be performed on recumbent bikes.

Public Counsel www.publiccounsel.org Volunteer Information: Ted Zepeda, Pro Bono Director tzepeda@publiccounsel.org 213-385-2977 ext. 125	Get Involved! -Attorneys: Help with a project in one of the following areas of law: Consumer Law, Children's Rights, Community Development, Child Care Law, Homelessness Prevention, Immigration. -Administration Support: Volunteers are needed for data entry, filing, large mailings and general office services. Plan to commit a minimum of two to five hours per week. -Communications: Write and research stories for newsletter and web site. Plan to commit a minimum of two to five hours per week. -Interpreters/Translators: Translate in political asylum cases if you are fluent in reading, writing and speaking another language. Signlanguage volunteers are extremely valuable and needed.

Rakestraw Memorial Community Education Center www.wesleyla.net Volunteer Information: Rev. Milton Pimpton sonny-boy2@sbcglobal.net 323-232-2258	Involved Youth! Rakestraw has always been extremely grateful for the youth of Westwood, who have given unselfishly of their time and talents in providing boxes of food, preparing and distributing bags on distribution day, The youth also provide a whole lot of muscle when they gather at the Center for a clean-up day. Their boundless energy and good cheer brighten up our Center immeasurably.

The Right Brain Center for the Arts www.therightbrain.org Additional information: Vallan Seid val@therightbrain.org 206-498-2517	Get Involved! -Cultivate Creativity: at Westwood UMC Help plan Church School and Vacation Bible School programs n -Cultivate Creativity in Your Neighborhood: Volunteer at an after school club for local youth. -Cultivate Creativity At Home: Turn off the television and initiate an art project with your child or loved one.

Gulf States Hurricane Recovery	Get Involved! Uptown Disaster Recovery Station Lousiana United Methodist Disaster Recovery Ministry Recovery... Rebuilding... Rebirth of Louisiana Schools Westwood Volunteers in Mission trip to New Orleans -Give: Donate directly to 2005 hurricane relief at the UMCOR website: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ see "Current Emergencies."

School on Wheels www.schoolonwheels.org Volunteer Information: www.schoolonwheels.org > go to volunteer section	Get Involved! -Tutor a child.: Commit to a minimum of one hour a week for three months. -Location Coordinator: Be the liaison between shelters, tutors and SOW Regional Coordinator.

Sierra Service Project: Creating Community www.sierraserviceproject.org Volunteer Information: Speak to any WUMC youth!	Get Involved! -Youth: Plan on participating next summer. -Adults: Plan on participating as an adult counselor. -Everyone: Support the youth by purchasing stock, keeping them in prayer and offering them encouragement. -Vehicle Donations: We are always looking for good quality vehicles to be used by our staff during the summer. If your vehicle is added to our fleet, the fair market value can be used as a tax deduction. Call 916-488-6441

St. Mary's Interfaith Transitional Learning Center www.stmarysinterfaith.org/TLC.html

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation www.komenlacounty.org Volunteer Information: www.komenlacounty.org > go to Get Involved	Get Involved! -Clerical Assistance: Assist in assembling bulk mailings, answering phones, entering data and logging in donations. -Special Events: Assist with events such as golf tournaments, BMW Ultimate Drive, Lee Denim Day and benefit shopping days at Nordstrom, Macy's or Bloomingdales. -Outreach Activities: Attend community fairs, health fairs and conventions to display and distribute Komen information. -Fashion for the Cure: Assist with "Fashion for the Cure" event. -Wacoal Fit for the Cure: Attend this event at one or more department stores; distribute Komen early detection information.

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) www.umcor.org Volunteer Information: www.umcor.org > Get Connected > Volunteer	Get Involved! -Disaster Response Volunteers: Plan a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) trip from Westwood UMC to help in recovery efforts following a disaster. Volunteers are often needed for several years following a major event. -One Great Hour of Sharing: Work with the Mission Team to develop the annual One Great Hour of Sharing Calendar to promote raising administrative funds for UMCOR. Campaign is during the first weeks of Lent each year. -Kit Build: Contact the Mission Team to help plan for a Health, School, Layette, Flood Bucket Kit build at Westwood UMC to restock the Sager Brown Depot so that immediate relief can be deployed following a disaster.

The Wesley Foundation Serving UCLA Volunteer Information: Alissa Bertsch uclacampusminister@mac.com or 310-208-1051	Get Involved! -Food Ministry: Volunteer to provide a home-cooked meal following a Taizé Service or bring the snacks for bible study. -Music Ministry: Volunteer to help with the organization and music of the Taizé Service. -College Age Ministry: Help with this vital ministry at Westwood UMC.

Westside Food Bank www.westsidefoodbankca.org Volunteer Information: Allison Griffith 310-828-6016 ext. 12	Get Involved! -Drivers Needed: Pick up food from various locations and bring food from the food bank to our partner organizations. Drivers must use their own vehicles. Commit an hour a week for a year. -Food Sorters: Sort food at the Food Bank on an as-needed basis -Office Support: Help with filing, copying, data entry and general office duties. Computer literacy a plus; training provided as needed! -Start a Food Drive: Westside Food Bank will bring barrels to the church and will pick-up after the collection

Westwood United Methodist Church Mission Team www.westwoodumc.org Volunteer Information: Contact the Mission Team at wumcmt@gmail.com	Get Involved! -UMCOR Health Kit Build: Volunteer to organize or help with the execution of a quarterly health kit build at WUMC. -PATH Breakfast: Shop for or participate in the monthly service of preparing breakfast for the residents at the PATH Regional Homeless Center in downtown Los Angeles on a Saturday morning. -Volunteers in Mission: Help in fundraising or planning of adult, family or youth Mission Trips. Help Westwood return to the Gulf Coast.

A Window Between Worlds www.awbw.org Volunteer Information: Trini Nunez at tnunez@awbw.org 310-396-0317	Get Involved! -Event Volunteers: Help at the annual Open House, at the Art Workshops, or fundraisers. -Volunteer Saturdays: Help sort art supplies, and decorate envelopes on the third Saturday of each month. -Office Support: Help at the office with basic tasks, pick-up donations, supplies or run other errands. -Art Supply Coordinator: Prepare art supplies for pick-up by the shelters.