William’s love for animals motivated him to help rescue dogs in the San Diego area for the San Diego Humane Society. Once a week you might see William walking around San Diego walking his four-legged friends, making sure they have all the exercise they need.

Stefanie and Matt moved to San Diego to live by the beach and enjoy beautiful San Diego, but not all families are as fortunate to have a nice and safe roof over their heads. Through San Diego Habitat for Humanity, Stefanie and Matt are getting their hands dirty and helping an El Cajon family who needs a home.

Every year the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation (SDSMF) puts on Taste of the Cove, an event to raise money to support their efforts. As a volunteer committee member Nicole is helping the foundation raise the money needed to provide a medical safety net for injured youth who have limited financial means in order to return them back to health, life and sports.

Jane is showing her support for the troops by volunteering to help with the 2nd Annual Military Appreciation Day hosted at the First Baptist Church of Mira Mesa. Free for all active duty military personnel and their families, this event is a way for the community to show local military just how much we’re grateful for what they do.

David used his musical background to help a kindergarten class of Murray Manor in La Mesa, a school that was affected by budget cuts and lost their arts and music classes. As he gave kids lessons about music and writing their own songs, he encouraged the children to use their creativity. The class created a song, with a title which was unanimously voted, “Stink Monkey.” From there they came up with lines that rhymed until they created one unique but amusing song.

Joshua and Karina are helping feed less fortunate San Diegans through their churches. Karina is volunteering her time at St. Vincent de Paul in downtown San Diego. The church started as an operation handing out peanut butter sandwiches in 1950 and now serves three nutritious meals every day of the year. Every Wednesday, Joshua helps feed between 150 and 200 homeless people at Pacific Beach United Methodist Church. This weekly event not only helps feed these people but offers free healthcare services as well. Joshua especially enjoys the interaction he gets to have with the people he serves and seeing the genuine gratitude from both the adults and the children.

Each of us has volunteered for a program that we feel strongly about and we’d like to take this opportunity to encourage you to do the same. Below are some great nonprofit organizations that are in need of your help.

1. Stay Classy
Since being established in 2006, members have come together to plant trees, clean beaches, help offset the pollution of local businesses, and coordinate wildfire collection drives. In 2008 alone, over 2,500 hours of volunteer service was contributed. This year the foundation’s goal is to reach 10,000 hours. To help this organization achieve their volunteering goal, log on to their Web site www.stayclassy.org/volunteer/ for a list of upcoming events you can be a part of.

2. Mama’s Kitchen
Mama's Kitchen delivers three nutritional meals a day, seven days a week at no charge to men, women and children living with AIDS or other critical illnesses. Additionally, the affiliated organization, Mama’s Pantry, provides grocery bags and pantry services to people affected by AIDS. Through these services the organization provides food, compassion and hope to over 1,500 people annually living throughout San Diego County. Visit www.mamaskitchen.org for more information or to get involved.

3. San Diego Humane Society
Serving San Diego County since 1880, San Diego Humane Society provides vital services to animals and people alike through sheltering and adopting animals, public training classes, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, providing education programs, sharing animals through pet-assisted therapy, and rescuing animals in emergency situations. As a private nonprofit organization that receives no public funding, the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA is supported solely by contributions, grants, bequests, investments and donations. If you would like to help your local four-legged friends, please visit www.sdhumane.org.

4. Senior Community Centers
Senior Community Centers is the leading provider of services to culturally diverse, low-income, at-risk seniors in downtown San Diego. They provide a network of comprehensive, integrated programs and services including: home delivered meals, nutrition and health education, physical and mental health care services, transitional affordable supportive housing as well as activities and socialization opportunities. They are always in need of a helping hand and a warm smile, so if you fit the bill please visit www.servingseniors.org/help/volunteer.php and find out how you can be of service. 

5. San Diego Youth Services
SDYS is a nationally recognized, comprehensive nonprofit organization that has helped stabilize the lives of more than a half-million young people and their families since 1970. They administer programs from 16 locations throughout San Diego County. Volunteers are able to participate in anything from mentoring children to painting or landscaping the organizations many facilities. For additional information and to find out about all the potential ways to give your time please visit their Web site at www.sdyouthservices.org.

For even more volunteer opportunities, check out San Diego’s online volunteer resource, www.volunteersandiego.org, where you can browse for volunteer projects based on specific interests, regions of San Diego in need, or different groups you’d like to give your time to. They even have a calendar that lists all the volunteer opportunities for each day of the week. So what are you waiting for? Get involved in your community and GIVE BACK!