Around Town: Local Volunteer Opportunities

AROUND TOWN | CHRISTINE VAN TUYL

CHECK OUT THESE LOCAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

When the holidays come around, many people are inspired to share the spirit of the season by selflessly giving others. From soup kitchens and blanket drives to toy donations and gift cards, Coronado locals never fail to show their generosity and kindness. But the holidays aren’t the only time to roll up your sleeves and do something good for the world…in fact, there are lots of opportunities to volunteer and give all year-round. (Some of them may be practically in your backyard.) Check out some of the ways to keep the spirit of Christmas flowing 365 days of the year.

Members of Coronado Emerald Keepers organize and facilitate beach cleanups.

The mission of the Monarch School is to educate students impacted by homelessness and help them develop the necessary skills for personal success. Currently there are more than 23,000 homeless students in San Diego County, and the Monarch School is dedicated to helping students break the cycle of poverty through education. What began as a one room education center has expanded into a K-12 comprehensive school, and volunteers are a big part of its success. Individual volunteer opportunities include working in math and literacy support, helping out in the classroom, personal shopping, and admin. When it comes to group volunteer opportunities, people are needed for donation drives, hygiene kit assembly, snack pack assembly, donation sorting and organization as well as family dinners.

Monarch School San Diego

1625 Newton Avenue San Diego, CA 92113 Phone: (619) 652-4100 Email: info@monarchschools.org Website: monarchschools.org Instagram: @monarchschool Facebook: Monarch School of San Diego

WARMING HEARTS WITH ANIMAL WELFARE

Each and every day, many of PAWS Coronado’s most essential operations are handled by devoted volunteers. From dog walking to youth mentorship, the hands-on, dedicated team of volunteers impacts the welfare of once homeless animals and the Coronado community at large. If you want to make a difference in the lives of animals seeking their forever homes, consider embarking on your journey of animal advocacy with PAWS. Volunteer opportunities include dog walking, cat petting/strolling, working with adoption teams, digital media work and more. Or, take a look at foster care, by providing essential safety and comfort for pets who are rescued as newborns. Better yet, adopt a PAWS pet into your home for a lifetime of joy and love. After all, that’s the vision of PAWS: for every animal to have a safe, loving forever home.

PAWS of Coronado

Address: 1395 1st Street Coronado, CA 92118 Phone: (619) 435-8247 Website: pawsofcoronado.org Instagram: @pawsofcoronado Facebook: PAWS of Coronado

Teagan Furhmann holds the kitten her family adopted from PAWS.

Molly was adopted from PAWS in September.

HEAL MOTHER OCEAN

“Our oceans are in peril,” says Amy Steward, President of Coronado Emerald Keepers. “Plastics are choking our oceans and killing marine life. Over-fishing and rising temperatures due to carbon emissions threaten ecosystems. The habitability of our planet is at stake.” Fortunately, thanks to local organizations like Emerald Keepers, some of these trends may be reversible. Volunteers for Emerald Keepers keep busy organizing and facilitating beach cleanups, educating consumers on making sustainable choices when they shop, and writing letters to eliminate single-use plastics. Not sure where to start? Locals are encouraged to visit the EmeraldKeepers.org website and take the pledge. It can be as easy as riding your bike and picking up three pieces of trash a day! “Emerald Keepers is extremely proud of Coronado as we work to change hearts and change minds,” says Steward. “We are a long way from becoming the true green ‘Emerald City’ we purport to be, but we are turning the tide.”

Emerald Keepers

Phone: 619-535-7152 Email: emeraldkeepers@gmail.com Website: emeraldkeepers.org Instagram @emeraldkeepers FaceBook Emerald Keepers

Emerald Keepers at a beach cleanup.

HELPING THE HOMELESS

Headquartered just over the bridge on Imperial Avenue, Father Joe’s Villages seeks volunteers for a variety of programs including preparing and serving meals, tutoring kids, working in retail, maintenance, beautification and more. In fact, no matter what your knack or talent, Father Joe’s has a place for your skillset. Volunteers with specialized experience are always needed: for example, licensed cosmetologists can cut hair at Village Clips, a hair salon in East Village; some surf schools have even hosted events, inviting homeless children to experience the fun of surfing for the first time. Feeding more than 3,000 hungry neighbors a day and housing more than 1,500 people without homes, Father Joe’s Villages is the largest provider of homeless services in Southern California.

Father Joe’s Villages

Address: 1501 Imperial Avenue San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: (619) 645-6411 Email: volunteer@neighbor.org Website: My.neighbor.org Instagram @fatherjoes Facebook Father Joe’s Villages

Father Joe's picks up furniture donations free of charge.

BE A BOOKWORM

If you can’t imagine anything better than getting lost in the pages of a good book, consider joining Coronado Friends of the Library, a nonprofit whose primary mission is to support the Coronado Public Library programs. This includes children’s summer reading programs, children’s activities, library exhibits, new books, and more. You can assist with special books sales, and help operate Second Hand Prose, the used book store behind the library. One thing is for certain…you will always have something fabulous to read, and you’ll know your work is helping support literacy in a special way.

Friends of the Coronado Public Library

640 Orange Ave. Coronado, CA 92118 (behind the library) Phone: (619) 435-1516 Email: info@CoronadoFOL.org Website: coronadoFOL.org Instagram: friendsofcpl92118 Facebook: Friends of Coronado Public Library

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