Practical View : What You Can Do to...

A year after the riots and still in economic recession, Southern California has an ongoing need for helping hands at nonprofit agencies that provide care--for cHildreN, for thE elderly, for the needy, for the environment and for the arts in our lives. The following list emphasizes volunteer opportunities for high school and college students who would like to contribute to their communities on weekends or during school vacations. Adult volunteers are also welcome.

We couldn’t include every agency that needs help, so if you don’t find any listed in your neighborhood or area of interest, contact county or city volunteer agencies.

Save the Planet

* Teens are welcome at work activities of the Friends of Ballona Wetlands. Volunteers help remove invasive plants that imperil native plants in dunes and wetlands. Bags, tools, gloves, refreshments and instruction are provided. Bring old shoes and sunscreen. Those under 18 must have a signed parental release form. The work is done weekdays and weekends. Groups of five or more preferred. To arrange a date aNd time, call mary Thomson, (310) 821-2057.

* Wildlife Waystation, 14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Road, Angeles National Forest, needs teen groups (Scouts, social clubs, church groups) of 10 to 20 people for volunteer work parties. Projects include tree planting, landscaping, general cleanup and light construction at the wild-animal rescue facility. Most work parties are scheduled on Saturday or Sunday. Information: Gail Lippner, (818) 899-520.

* Rhapsody in Green needs extra pairs of hands to help preserve the Blue Butterfly Dunes in Santa Clarita and Playa del Rey. Volunteers also maintain plants and pick oranges for distribution to the needy. Information: (213) 654-5821.

* Practice service skills at the Los Angeles Audubon Society’s bookstore, which is open Tuesday through Saturday. Volunteers greet customers and prepare shipments for worldwide delivery. Teen-agers are welcome to apply. Experience is not necessary, but some computer, sales or related skills would be helpful. Information: Olga Clarke, (213) 876-0202.

Work With Children

* Experience the rewards of sharing for four hours a week at the Foundation for the Junior Blind in Baldwin Hills. Volunteers help out at the foundation’s Malibu Mountains camp, a year-round resident camp for blind and visually impaired children. Clerical help is also needed. Information: Barbara Barnes, volunteer coordinator, (213) 295-4555, Ext. 235.

* Kids at the Richstone Family Center, a service for the prevention and treatment of child abuse, needs teen volunteers to read stories, play games, tutor or help with other programs, which run 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Volunteers under 18 need parental permission. Information: Terri Eggers, (310) 970-1921.

* John Tracy Clinic, a private parent education center and preschool for deaf children, uses voluNTeers 18 aNd oLder to aSsIst Classroom teachers, supervise children in indoor/outdoor play, help prepare materials and provide clerical help. A commitment of no less than 1 1/2 hours each week for a month is required. Training and orientation are provided. Information: Carol MacAllister, (213) 748-5481.

* Vegetarian Kids Club needs teen volunteers to help with children’s summer activities such as outings to local parks and beaches. Information: Vegetarian Society, (310) 281-1907.

* Kaps for Kids decorates hats for children being treated for cancer and AIDS. Artistic volunteers of all ages are needed. No experience is necessary. Also needed are fund-raisers, merchandise procurers, craft teachers and creative designers. Information: Sheri Galper, (818) 713-1775, or Helen Salkin, (818) 774-1109.

Help the Needy

* Hollywood Center of the Los Angeles Free Clinic serves homeless and high-risk youth through a range of programs. Volunteers 16 and older can help as actors in educational plays about HIV prevention and as health educators, receptionists, medical intake workers, file clerks and medical assistants. A four-to-eight-hour weekly commitment for six months is requested. Information: Jimmi Weaver, (213) 462-8632.

* St. Joseph Center in Venice helps families maintain their households. Teens can help with office work, stocking a food pantry, bagging groceries for families and serving hot morning meals to homeless people in a cafe-style restaurant. Volunteers under 18 must have parental permission. Information: (310) 399-2462.

Community Action

* Youth Task Force L.A.--a program of the Constitutional Rights Foundation in cooperation with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps and California Campus Compact-offers high school students opportunities to improve their neighborhoods in such areas as race relations, police-community relations, and community and economic development.

The program consists of 30 Neighborhood Action Teams, each advisEd by an adult sponsor and a college-student mentor. Teen-agers involved in drop-out recovery and gang-abatement programs are eligible.

For a list of high schools offering the program, high school and college students may call Ingrid Sausjord, (213) 487-5590.

* Rebuild L.A. Phone Service and Recruitment Program will link volunteers of all ages and interests to nonprofit agencies in need of hElp. Information: (13) 740-4RLA.

* Join in on “Neighborhood Pride Day” on June 12 when the Neighborhood Housing Services Insurance Partnership will paint and rebuild neglected houses in South-Central Los Angeles, Pasadena and Inglewood. Free lunches and painting supplies will be provided at each location. This annual event brings together Neighborhood Housing Services staff and local insurance-company employees and agents from the Insurance Full Partnership as well as other volunteers. Information: Lori Gay, (213) 749-7797.

* Learn leadership skills and self-reliance in the American Red Cross Youth Volunteer Service Program. Jobs include assisting at blood mobiles, community events and Veterans Administration hospitals, speaking to community groups on HIV/AIDS and earthquake-preparedness activities. Information: (213) 739-5273, (805) 259-1805, (310) 831-2410 and (310) 445-9907.

* Teens 16 and older are needed at the Braille Institute, 741 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Volunteers give at least two hours each week to stuff envelopes, and collate, fold, label and box Braille publications for clients. Agency hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through FridayS. Information: Carlye Rudkin, director of volunteer services, (213) 663-1111, Ext. 260.

* Zero Population Growth seeks young people to help spread its views about the environmental danger of overpopulation. Volunteers distribute literature in churches, schools and malls and greet the public at events such as Earth Day. Youth volunteers may also help in the office. A two-hour commitment per week is requested. Information: (818) 799-9827, (818) 248-1793 or (310) 216-7478.

* Pasadena/Foothills Chapter, United Nations Assn. needs people to help at its center and International Gift Shop at 723 E. Green St., Pasadena. Volunteers assist with sales, receptions, graphics, publicity, and work on the UNICEF Committee. Information: (818) 449-1795.

Befriend the Elderly

* Teens are invited to help at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills. The fund is a nonprofit organization that provides health care, child care and social services to people who work in the entertainment industry. Junior volunteers work an average of four hours per week. Hours may be arranged between 4 and 9 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Information: Rosa Aguilar, (818) 876-1149, weekdays after 4 p.m.

* The YWCA’s Angeles Mesa Branch at Vernon Avenue and 3rd Street accepts teen volunteers ages 12 to 18. Volunteer jobs include visiting nursing homes and raising funds for kids who can’t afford to join the Y. Information: Barbara Trice, (213) 295-4288.

* Teens: Adopt a nursing home in your area, alone or with friends. Project Caring, sponsored by Jewish Family Services, offers orientation, training and materials enabling volunteers to share Jewish culture and holiday celebrations with nursing-home residents. Monthly visits to residents are also part of the work. Project Caring serves 52 nursing homes in Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley. Information: Carole Fox, (213) 655-8477, or Tara Eisner, (818) 905-2125.

* Pasadena Senior Center needs volunteers 16 and older for its Friendly Visitor Program. Volunteers visit elderly shut-ins in the Pasadena area. Information: Ginger Miller, (818) 795-4331.

Promote Culture

* The J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu has openings in two volunteer groups for docents 18 and older. Orientation docents give brief talks in the main garden and staff the information desk, working one morning or afternoon per week Tuesdays through Sundays. Training is provided. Fluency in Spanish or an Asian language is welcome.

Information-post volunteers greet visitors at the ground-leveL eNtrance, disTrIbute brochures and answer questions. They may also usher at special events and assist with special projects. Applications are due no later than June 10. Information/applications: (310) 459-7611, Ext. 300.

* The George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries needs volunteers 14 or older to assist throughout the museum. Training is provided. Information: (213) 857-6306, 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays.

* The William S. Hart Museum in Santa Clarita has a junior volunteer program for students in sixth through eighth grades. Training will be held Tuesday and Thursday mornings in August. Volunteers learn about the history of the area and Hart’s contributions to filmmaking. There’s an opportunity to practice public speaking skills. Trainees agree to a one-year commitment of serving one Saturday each month and at fund-raising events. Information/applications: Carol Sandmeier, director of administration, (805) 254-4584.

* The Hollywood Bowl gift shop has opportunities year-round for volunteers 18 and older to work in sales, pricing and inventory. Daytime shifts are 8:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. seven days a week. A minimum commitment of one four-hour shift per week is required. Training is provided. Information: (213) 972-7643.

* Enjoy the sounds of music? Lend a hand to the Orange County Symphony. The group needs clerical help and volunteers for the Strawberry Festival food booth in Garden Grove Park during Memorial Day weekend. Information: Helen Weed, (714) 534-1103.

* The Los Angeles Festival, founded in 1984 after the Summer Olympic Games, will celebrate the arts of Africa and the Middle East from Aug. 20 to Oct. 3 and invites volunteers 18 and older to work at information booths and help with fund-raising, archives, clerical tasks, computer data entry and research. Also needed are hosts and drivers. Information: Kay D. Rosser, (213) 240-7600.

Help Animals

* Pet Orphans Fund in Van Nuys needs volunteers to walk, brush, exercise and spend time with the kennel’s dogs and cats. Training is provided. Parental permission needed for teens under 18. Information: (818) 901-0190.

* Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals needs volunteers 18 and older to help care for homeless and unwanted pets in its shelters. Volunteers will assist people who have lost a pet or those who wish to adopt one. Help is also needed with grooming and exercising animals. Information: Jennifer Shaw, (213) 730-5300.

Give to Health Care

* Airport Marina Counseling Service in Westchester needs volunteers 16 and older to assist with reception and telephone duties for two hours each week. Information: Stella Mogck, (310) 670-1410.

* Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center’s volunteer department is looking for teens to help in offices, assist security officers in a new volunteer guard program, and work with the medical staff on patient floors. Information: Jennifer Garvey, (310) 319-4614.

* Opica Adult Day Center Inc. in West Los Angeles has opportunities for college student internships in gerontology, psychology, counseling and related fields. Training and supervision by licensed professionals is provided. Information: Alice Manion, associate Director, (310) 478-0226.

* The Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles has a summer junior volunteer program for students 14 and older. Volunteers work at nursing stations and in other programs that provide experience and an opportunity to learn about careers in health care. Information: Volunteer office, (213) 977-2090.

* Centinela Hospital Medical Center needs young volunteers in various areas. Information: (310) 673-4660, Ext. 8212.