Volunteer Opportunities for Youth
American Red Cross of Ventura County – Ojai District
Activities: There are Active Red Cross Clubs at Nordhoff High School and Villanova Prep. They have passed out smoke detectors to mobile home parks, and other community service projects.
Contact:Youth Services Coordinator@ 805 339-2234 ext. 280 or e-mail YouthVC@usa.redcross.org
Website: www.arcventura.org
Purpose of Organization: Provide health education, disaster relief and disaster preparation information
City of Ojai Public Works
Activities: Landscaping, street repair
640-2560
Community Assistance Program (CAP)
Activities: May, November/December food drives
Contact: Jessica Murray, 646-3320
Concerned Resource and Environmental Workers (The C.R.E.W)
Activities: The C.R.E.W. uses both volunteers and paid youth to work in the areas of habitat restoration, maintenance of recreational forest trails, and fire protection and fuel break construction.
Contact: Wally McCall, 646-5085, at crew@jetlink.net
Purpose of Organization: To support the environment and provide employment for local youth.
Forest Service
Activities: Trail maintenance, office work
Contact: Diane Cross, 646-4348, ext. 320
Habitat for Humanity
Activities: Thrift Store, special events, building, food for workers
Contact: Bethany Lee, 485-6065
Help of Ojai
Activities: Lead activities and discussions at adult day support center; act as docents and instructors at our adaptive computer lab; help collect life stories; visit elders, assist with yard work and grocery shopping for homebound seniors; assist in community assistance office; provide general office support.
Contact: Kathleen Tarrats, 646-5122, or 646-RSVP, or by e-mail at helpojai@helpofojai.org
Purpose of Organization: Combine community resources to meet unmet human needs of the Ojai Valley, with an emphasizes in seniors.
Humane Society of Ventura County
Activities: Socializing puppies and kittens, petting and playing with cats; walking, playing with and petting dogs. 10 to13 year-olds must have parents with them. 14 year-olds and above may, after attending an orientation with a parent, be there on their own.
Contact: Linda Allison at 646-6505 or 656-5031, or by e-mail at animals@humanesocietyvc.org
Purpose of Organization: Spaying/neutering all dogs and cats, placing animals in permanent homes, caring for animals that have been abused or neglected.
Latinos Unidos Pro Educacion (LUPE)
Activities: Presentations in Spanish, translating for parents
Contact: Adan Lara, 640-1692
Nordhoff High School
Activities: Roles arranged through consultation with counselors. Some examples are Interact Club working at orphanage in Mexico,. University Club students giving presentations at L.U.P.E meetings.
Contact: Jana Devine, College and Career Center, Nordhoff, at 640-4343 or by e-mail at jdevine@ojai.k12ca.us.
Purpose of Organization: To graduate well-rounded individuals who are well-prepared for the rights and responsibilities of adulthood.
Ojai Education Foundation
Activities: Help at events—February reception and May golf tournament
Contact: Maud Huey-Kenyon
Ojai Film Festival
Activities: Evaluating Film Festival entries, writing and distributing press releases, distributing posters, helping with ticket sales. Volunteers are primarily needed in September and October.
Contact: Susan McRae, 640-1947, or by e-mail at FILMFESTIVAL@OJAI.NET
Purpose of Organization: Enriching the human spirit through film. We stage a three-day film festival every October.
Ojai Library
Activities: Assisting kids with homework and craft projects, shelving, and straightening up in the library.
Contact: Julie Albright, 646-9901, or by e-mail at monradalbright@hotmail.com
Purpose of Organization: Public Library
Ojai Mexican Fiesta
Activities: Help during September
Contact: Adan Lara, 640-1692
Ojai Music Festival
Activities: office work, production, food service, security
Contact: Barbara Hildreth, 646-2094, ext. 100
Ojai Police Department
Activities: Helping the office staff with clerical tasks, assisting at PAL, our after-school program, with sports, games and homework. We need volunteers year-round.
Contact: Kim Larson, 646-1414
Purpose of Organization: Public safety/ Law enforcement
Ojai Recreation Department
Activities: Youth can work as coaches for sports and aquatics programs, be C.I.T. (counselors in training) for summer camps, and supervise activities in our game room.
Contact: Sophocles Cotsis, 646-1872, or by e-mail at ojairec@ci.ojai.ca.us
Purpose of Organization: Helping our youth become the leaders of tomorrow. Safe, fun, educational activities and classes.
Ojai Rotary Club
Activities: Help at special events
Contact: Jim Berube, 640-4300
Ojai Shakespeare Festival
Activities: 1,000 fun jobs for volunteers
Contact: Laurie Slade, 646-3733
Ojai Valley Community Hospital, Skilled Nursing
Activities: Call by 15th of the month to sign up for an orientation that is held on the last Tuesday of each month.
Contact: Chris Moffett, 640-2280
Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
Activities: When we do our major fundraising of the year in September, “Moonlight on the Meadow”, we need help with setting up tents, preparing and serving food, and cleaning up the site. We also need help year-round in the office, and volunteers to assist the preserve manager.
Contact: Carole Carcio, 646-7930, or by e-mail at OVLC@Ojai.net
Purpose of Organization: The preservation of open space and the education of the community about our environment
Ojai Valley Museum and Historical Society
Activities: Junior Docent Program involves youth in photography, computer research, picture scanning and printing, and exhibit research, design and installation.
Contact: Jane McClenahan, 640-1390
Optimist Club
Activities: Help with events—the Home Game Barbeque and Ojai Day
Contact: Nancy Hill-Hines, 646-0076
Ojai Valley Birth Resource and Family Center
Activities: Office support, teacher assistance, help with special events
Contact: Nan Tolbert, 646-7559, or by e-mail at birthresource@ojai.net
Purpose of Organization: Provides caring support and unbiased information about pregnancy, child birth, parenting and family issues
Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
Activities: Give out information to visitors at events and at the Visitors Bureau.
Contact: Jill Johnston, 646-8126 or by e-mail at info@the-ojai.org
Purpose of Organization: Promote commerce that sustains and improves the Ojai Valley lifestyle
Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council
Activities for youth volunteers: Youth volunteers do outreach to Ojai Valley high school and junior high students as part of fire safety program.
Contact: Will Castinga, 646-4754
Purpose of Organization: To prevent wildfires and promote fire safety
Ojai Valley Tennis Club
Activities: In March through April we need help preparing for and putting on the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament. Youth can help at the orange juice stand and the tea tent, be Ball Girls and Boys, staff media headquarters, and help with posting results.
Contact: Gerry Roe, 646-3611, or by e-mail at RhRoe@MailStation.com
Purpose of Organization: To sponsor youth tennis lessons and activities in Ojai
Project Understanding
Activities: The after-school Tutoring Program uses high school students to tutor younger children once a week for 1 hour at a tutoring center. We also need help at our food pantry.
Contact: Marcia Wakelee, 652-1326 Ext. 34, or by e-mail at bwakelee@earthlink.net
Purpose of Organization: We are a faith-based agency whose mission is two-fold – to serve those who are in need with compassion and mercy, and to provide avenues for those who wish to serve others.
St. Joseph Health and Retirement Center
Activities: Youth can help by reading to residents, and by taking people in wheelchairs outside for a little while.
Contact: Linda, 646-1466
Purpose of Organization: Health care for Seniors
USA Freedom Corp
Activities: Any and all – please inquire
Contact: Justin Millard, 646-8078, or by e-mail at justin@gooddeed.org
Purpose of Organization: To ensure every citizen does at least 4000 hours of volunteer service over their lifetime
Ventura County Council Boy Scouts of America
Activities: Assisting in leading Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing Crew service projects
Contact: Mike Krone, 339-4094, or by e-mail at mkRONE@ bsamail.org
Purpose of Organization: To bring youth and adults together to serve their community. |
