Help Wanted

Old bicycles and young kids don’t go together: Eager legs that want to go fast can’t turn cranks looped with rusty chains, and loose handlebars and seats make navigating a struggle. Yet, at a 6-month-old group home in Fullerton, Star 6 Children’s Foundation, abused and neglected boys ride dilapidated bikes.

“The [bikes] were in good shape, but kids are hard on things like that, like all kids are, so a couple of them got busted up,” said Richard Gayton, director of the group home. Gayton asked for volunteer help. For this weekend, he wants about five dedicated folks with some technical prowess to help fix the cycles. “It’s because they’re so important to kids,” he said.

This type of giving is expected countywide Saturday for the sixth annual Volunteer Connection day, where 19,000 people are expected to repair hiking trails chewed up by El Nino storms, paint fences in low-income neighborhoods, spruce up parks, clear beaches of trash and harvest vegetables to feed the hungry.

More than 100 events are offered for environmentally and socially conscious folks with myriad abilities and interests.

“The overall goal of the whole day is to spark an interest so they don’t just do it once a year [but rather] do it regularly,” said Michael Howard, executive director of Clean Slate--Costa Mesa, a volunteer group that paints over graffiti and creates murals. “Everybody’s pretty busy these days, so [volunteerism] slips by. This is a time to stop and say ‘Let’s get involved.’ ”

Clean Slate will be at Kramer Middle School in Placentia on Saturday. This year, many events coincide with Earth Day beach and trail cleanups, so crowds could be larger than expected.

The Volunteer Center of Orange puts on the event, which attracted 12,000 helpers to 87 events last year. Several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of work will be accomplished in one day.

Since 1992, Volunteer Connection Day--called Neighbors for Neighbors in some communities--has expanded significantly. The turnout shows that Orange County residents, though shown to be reluctant to donate money to charity, are willing to part with their time.

Organizers say the trend rejects a previous decade of self-serving efforts.

“This is not the ‘80s anymore, and responsibility to the community is growing,” said Fran Mulvania, spokeswoman for the volunteer center. “This is the sixth year [of volunteer day], and the word and support for volunteerism is spreading.”

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HOW TO PITCH IN

COUNTYWIDE

O.C. Health Care Agency, Children & Youth Services, Project Together. Sort donated clothing and personal-care items to be given to low-income children. Casey McFall, (714) 568-4943.

READ/Orange County--Orange County Public Library. Hang doorknob flyers to promote Walk to Read, a campaign to enlist communities to volunteer and become tutors. Marcia Tungate, (714) 566-3070.

Olive Crest Homes. Help spring-clean interiors and gardens of group homes in Anaheim, Orange, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Mission Viejo and Santa Ana. Cathy Cook, (714) 543-5437.

Trails4All-Goodtime Net. Survey a trail for off-road wheelchair access. Peter Schikli, (949) 369-1638.

Veterans Charities of Orange County. Plant and landscape. John Bell, (714) 547-0615.

ANAHEIM

City of Anaheim. Remove graffiti. Richard D. LaRochelle, (714) 765-4413.

Community Alliance for the Blind/Special Olympics. Help shadow visually impaired and blind teens. Brian Freeborn, (714) 953-5757, Ext. 108.

Future Scientists and Engineers of America. Revitalize the FSEA production facility. Sheryl France-Moran, (714) 229-2224.

Oak Canyon Nature Center, Anaheim Community Services Department. Staff booths at Earth Day event. Cathy Glasgow, (714) 998-8380.

Orange County Special Olympics Track & Field. Assist athletes and students. David and Susan Barry, (714) 530-6111.

Westview Vocational Services. Prepare and paint the exterior of a five-bedroom house. Margarite Mills, (714) 635-2444.

BREA

Carbon Canyon Regional Park. Trail maintenance and restoration of natural trail. Raul Herrera, (714) 996-5252.

BUENA PARK

City of Buena Park. Plant trees, remove graffiti and paint picnic tables at four parks. Rudy Juarez, (714) 562-3844.

COSTA MESA

City of Costa Mesa. Neighborhood and park cleanup. Muriel Vilmag, (714) 754-5140.

Inner Vision Youth (IVY). Staff a booth to educate the public about recycling and promoting working with youth. Stephanie Barger, (949) 752-1688.

Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center. Support the Hug a Baby campaign by donating a diaper and attending an orientation to learn how to be a mentor to an older child. Robin Beskind, (949) 722-1107.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

City of Fountain Valley. Park cleanup. Sally Satterfield, (714) 593-4446.

FULLERTON

Boys and Girls Club-Fullerton. Painting. Sandra Denial, (714) 525-8241.

Fullerton College ChildCare Center. Plant shrubs and plants; lay steppingstones. Linda Wokurka, (714) 992-7467.

Public Facilities Department, Harbors, Beaches and Parks. Cut tall grass and weeds. Phil Shields, (714) 990-0271.

Star 6 Children’s Foundation. Paint boys’ bathroom and hallway areas and repair seven bicycles. Vera Ray or Vicki Gayton, (714) 526-1166.

GARDEN GROVE

City of Garden Grove. Help with family-oriented recreational activities, such as noncompetitive games, arts and crafts, family scavenger hunt and more. Christy Borack, (714) 741-5215.

Girls and Boys Club--Garden Grove. Help on the Garden Wharf Project, a place of serenity for youth. Sande Gosper Rene Hutchings, (714) 537-1465.

Heart to Heart Program at Lampson Elementary School. Help children in school. Spanish and Vietnamese speakers needed. Judy Markum, (714) 639-7188.

John Henry Foundation. Clean up homes and yards. Hank Lamb, (714) 539-9597.

Orange County Community Development Council. Assemble food boxes for infants, seniors and low-income pregnant women. Carol Alejo, (714) 897-6670.

Southern California Indian Center Inc. Help at senior citizens picnic. Patricia Powers, (714) 663-1102.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Bolsa Chica Stewards. Pick up debris and clear area to plant native plants. Thierry Kolpin, (714) 969-7229.

Dwyer Middle School. Collect and sort donated clothes, then distribute to children in need. Stacey Wood, (714) 536-7507.

Huntington Beach Public Library & Cultural Center. Clean and repair books. Kim Withey, (714) 375-5033.

Surfrider Foundation, Huntington Beach Chapter. Beach cleanup. Bob Stanley, (714) 892-9366.

Trails4All-Sunset Aquatic Nature Trail. Help design, create and build a new trail. Jim Meyer, (714) 834-3136.

IRVINE

City of Irvine Animal Care Center. Install plastic covering to trellised walkways to give volunteers dry space to walk dogs on rainy days; clean dog and cat kennels. Ron Edwards, (949) 724-7746.

Christmas in April Serving Orange County. Rehabilitate the houses of low-income homeowners, particularly elderly or disabled. Cy Baumann, (949) 440-5702.

Human Options. Paint apartment interior, install shelves in storage shed and clean carpet. Leslie Van Fossan, (949) 854-3554.

Inner Vision Youth. Orientation for people who want to become mentors. Stephanie Barger or Tony Ashby, (949) 752-1688.

LA HABRA

Boys and Girls Club of La Habra. Clean up the center. Adrian Twombley, (562) 694-1805.

City of La Habra. Clean up Coyote Creek and other parks. Kay Jacklin, (562) 905-9708.

LA PALMA

City of La Palma. Clean up local school and participate in Arbor Day festivities. Mike Belknan, (714) 522-6740.

LAGUNA BEACH

Friendship Shelter. Landscape. Jamie McLaren, (949) 494-6928.

Laguna Canyon Foundation. Raise funds for hikes in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Mary Fegrave, (949) 497-8324.

Surfrider Foundation, Laguna Beach Chapter. Beach cleanup. Rose McClelland, (949) 497-2142.

LAGUNA HILLS

City of Laguna Hills. Laguna Hills High School campus cleanup. Kim Monach, (949) 707-2683.

LAGUNA NIGUEL

Aliso & Wood Canyon Wilderness Park. Clean up parks to prevent debris from floating through the channel and into the ocean. Tom Maloney, (949) 831-2791.

City of Laguna Niguel Parks, Recreation and Community Services. Plant, clean up and paint Crown Valley Park. Sylvia N. Fredrichsen, (949) 362-4350.

LAKE FOREST

Trails4All-Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Repair rain-damaged trails. Jim Meyer, (714) 834-3136.

MISSION VIEJO

City of Mission Viejo. Plant the Oso Creek Trail. Jeanette Lambert Virgina Chavez, (949) 470-3064.

NEWPORT BEACH

Friends in Service to Humanity (FISH). Pack groceries and deliver to families in need. Xandy Tout, (949) 645-8050.

Orange County Harvest. Harvest crops to be donated to those in need. Dianne Kawamura, (714) 708-1597.

Surfrider Foundation Newport Beach Chapter. Beach cleanup at Santa Ana River jetty, Newport Pier, Big Corona beach and Crystal Cove. Steve McEwen, (949) 675-8853.

ORANGE

CCAP (Coalition for Children, Adolescents and Parents). Make teacher kits for parent-and-child sex-education program. Debbie Smith, (714) 972-4859.

Hugs for Health Foundation. Visit senior citizens at Park Tustin Rehabilitation Center. Jo Lindberg, (714) 832-4847.

Irvine Regional Park. Remove nonnative plants to maintain California native plant species. Jim Simkins, (714) 633-8074.

Orange County Burn Assn. Input information into a database to help identify survivors, donors, etc. Anne Delgadillo Gina James, (714) 456-8938.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Minor construction repairs, painting and electrical. Jim Kay, (714) 771-1343.

PLACENTIA

City of Placentia. Monitor and support the 5K and 8K course routes for Earth Week Run. Kris Gundel Steve Pischel, (714) 993-8232.

SAN CLEMENTE

Department of Parks, Recreation-San Clemente State Beach. Beach cleanup. Vicki Wiker, (949) 366-8594.

Doheny Longboard Surfing Assn. Clean up Doheny State Beach. Rodger More, (949) 361-6610.

Surfrider Foundation, San Clemente Chapter. Beach cleanup at Trestles, San Clemente Pier and San Clemente State Park. Ken Fortune, (949) 492-8248.

Ole Hanson Elementary School. Collect donated food, clothes and blankets to be sorted and shared with homeless shelters and charitable organizations. Mike Jacobs, (949) 492-1189.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy. Remove nonnative vegetation that poses a threat to native plant communities. Laura Cohen, (949) 489-9778.

SANTA ANA

City of Santa Ana Park Recreation & Community Services. Citywide beautification and renovation project, including a community fair. Belem Solis, (714) 571-4251.

Discovery Museum of Orange County. Plant tree and shrubs, build fences and clean up trail. Patrick Mitchell, (714) 540-0404.

Santa Ana 2000--Youth Alternative Collaborative. Work with students in a collaborative forum to elicit recommendations for the Youth Services Plan for Santa Ana. Julia Sanders, (714) 838-9991.

Santa Ana Zoo. Hand out information explaining how visitors can become involved in conservation projects in their homes. Kent Yamaguchi, (714) 647-6575.

Trail4All-Santiago Park/Santiago Creek Greenway. Plant native plants and trees. Jim Meyer, (714) 834-3136.

SEAL BEACH

Friends of the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. Plant natives, weed, water and keep growth records. Bruce Monroe, (562) 430-8495.

TRABUCO CANYON

Trails4All-O’Neill Park. Renovation and trail beautification projects. Jim Meyer, (714) 834-3136.

TUSTIN

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin. Help refurbish and organize the Cultural Arts Center at the club. Gary J. Oustad, (714) 838-5223.

City of Tustin Boys and Girls Club. Plant ground cover in front of the club. Pamela Berning, (714) 573-3333.

City of Tustin--Youth Track and Field Meet. Help serve refreshments, time runners and do other chores at the annual meet. Pamela Berning, (714) 573-3333.

YMCA’s ARK Program--Services for Abused Children. Help out with Saturday Fundays for abused children. Carol Rawe, (714) 838-1385.

YMCA-New Horizons. Assist staff with supervision of participants. Susan Alexander, (714) 838-4549.

* The Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County, a resource center for volunteers and nonprofit organizations. Call (714) 953-5757, Ext. 106. Or visit its Web site at https://www.volunteercenter.org, which lists 1,500 local organizations.

* The Volunteer Exchange, (714) 899-6845.