A Help, Yes, but Volunteering Can Open New Doors in Life

Why should people lend a helping hand?

To help.

To serve.

To give.

To make a difference.

While all of these are altruistic-sounding answers, they don’t begin to convey the essence or breadth of what it means to be a volunteer. Volunteering is an expression of our beliefs and values. And the measure of a community is how we treat and care for our most vulnerable populations.

In Los Angeles County, about 44% of adults volunteer. Volunteering reflects the size of our community, the diversity of our residents and the intricacy of our institutions.

Some volunteers reach out through their churches, synagogues or mosques; others at their children’s schools. In Los Angeles, there are boundless opportunities for volunteering. You might choose to use your professional skills or do something totally different from what you do at work. Many volunteers enjoy learning new skills and exploring areas in which they might not otherwise be involved. Some Angelenos have discovered that their hobbies can be a way of giving back to the community.

Whether you do data entry from your home computer or crochet blankets while watching television, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to fit volunteering into your life.

To help you decide what volunteer work would interest you, first ask yourself a few questions:

What do you care about in your community? Who is in need of help? What causes do you support? What problems do you want to help solve? Whether you have 10 hours a week or one day a month to help, there is always a volunteer opportunity for you. In just a few hours, you can help clean up your neighborhood, paint out graffiti or share the magic of reading with children in a homeless shelter.

In a day or two, you can work with a construction crew to help build safe and affordable housing, even if you’ve never picked up a hammer before. Children and youth need mentors and tutors, museums need docents, and the airport needs information hosts. The list of volunteer opportunities is endless.

If you are confused about what you would like to do, any volunteer agency can help you explore the possibilities.

In 1995, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan created the Volunteer Bureau to give Angelenos direct access to opportunities citywide. Every city department uses volunteers to enhance the services offered to residents, as do county departments. In 1998, 30,000 Angelenos donated their time and talent to the city, saving taxpayers more than $45 million.

I am convinced that our city would stop functioning if not for the contributions of volunteers--and the growing number of employers that support them. (You may be the volunteer doing the work with funding from a private company and infrastructure support from the city or county.)

Volunteers not only contribute to the community, but are often the true beneficiaries of their own activities. You can meet new people who share your interests, acquire new skills and have fun. Volunteers report a greater sense of well-being than those who don’t volunteer. Many experience the “helper’s high” that comes from seeing results, and, for some, volunteering reduces stress.

So why should you help? Even in a city as large as Los Angeles, every helping hand makes a difference. Your life will be richer while you touch the lives of others. Don’t wait to be asked. Help make our city a better place for all who call Los Angeles home.

Volunteers work without financial compensation, but most will tell you they gain far more than they give. Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know. The ones amongst you who are really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

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Karen Oleon Wagener is executive director of the Volunteer Bureau for the city of Los Angeles. For information about city volunteer opportunities, call (888) CARE-4-LA or visit https://www.ci.la.ca.usVOLBUR.