Many organizations and charities are dependent on volunteers to operate. Whether it is serving soup at the food pantry, ushering at the theater, or walking dogs at the shelter, volunteers are an integral part of the functioning of these institutions.

April became National Volunteer Month inspired by women in Canada who tended to and supported soldiers in World War ll. This month volunteers are celebrated in North America for helping organizations that better their communities.
The Paseo Club is a social club in Santa Clarita that supports members in health, fitness, and community connection.
You may have thought about how you can help your local area or region abroad. In this article we will share the benefits of volunteering, who can be a volunteer, and who needs your help in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The benefits of volunteering
Volunteering is a civic commitment that helps many organizations locally and abroad have more success in helping others than if they did not have the help of volunteers. The institutions are not the only ones to benefit — volunteers reap the rewards too.
Makes a difference
Volunteering can be as simple as picking up trash along the roadside or assisting in a classroom of second graders. It can also be more involved such as donating your advanced skills in grant writing, legal counsel, or financial consultation.
It can also be more involved such as donating your advanced skills in grant writing, legal counsel, or financial consultation.
Conserves resources
When you volunteer, you provide labor or a skill that many organizations simply cannot afford or do not otherwise have access to. Most charities and nonprofits that do service work operate with small budgets, which severely limits the extent of their work. When volunteers participate, their reach can be more extensive, helping even more people.
Improves mental health
We think of volunteering as an act of helping others. But the best-kept secret is that volunteers are actually happier, less stressed, and less depressed compared to people who do not volunteer. Volunteers also have a better overall outlook on life.
Role model to your children
When our children are young, they watch every move we make — which is how they learn to be an adult. You demonstrate to your children how to be caring, compassionate adults when you volunteer. There are many opportunities for families to volunteer together — multiplying your help.
Gain professional experience
Young people often consider what they want to do when they grow up. Becoming a volunteer is a wonderful way to explore different lines of work while gaining valuable work experience (and resume material). Even adults considering a change in careers can follow this model.
Unites people of different backgrounds
It is unfortunate, but many people still live in a homogenous bubble with people of similar educational backgrounds, cultures, and class.
Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to meet people different from yourself, uniting around the same goal. Young people can work alongside old, wealthy and poor, sober and in recovery, artists and accountants. The combinations are endless, showcasing a rich tapestry of the community.
Improves health and lengthens the lifespan
Not only do volunteers experience a boost in their mental health, their physical health is also improved.
Research shows that volunteers have less heart disease, fewer strokes, and longer lives.
Facilitates civic responsibility and a sense of purpose
More and more of us are not finding meaning at work. Perhaps our company culture does not nurture us. Maybe the company’s values are not aligned with our own. Jobs can feel routine and uninspiring. Work can become a stress in our lives, making us feel unfulfilled.
Volunteering gets you involved in something you are passionate about. This experience provides a sense of purpose which helps the organization you are volunteering for, the beneficiary of the organization, and yourself.
Who can volunteer?
Volunteerism needs a new branding campaign. The image of a wealthy retired person as the quintessential volunteer is harming the movement.
You need not be wealthy, elderly, skillful, or have free time in abundance; you simply need to find a cause you want to get behind and ask how you can help.
Adults, seniors, teens, able-bodied and disabled all can find a way to participate in an organization of their choosing. Some places also allow kids to help with the supervision of an adult.
Volunteer opportunities in the Santa Clarita Valley
Santa Clarita has a wealth of charities, nonprofits, and private organizations that work for the greater good of the community. Below is a selection of places that are currently looking for volunteers.
The Arts
Raising the Curtain Foundation works to support Newhall Family Theatre for the Performing Arts. Join the foundation on April 15th from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm in A Celebration of the Performing Arts. This event will present a rotation of stations where kids in grades 4 through 6 can learn about theater, directing, costumes and makeup, lighting, sound, and set design.
Food banks
Santa Clarita Grocery is a great local organization that provides groceries to people who struggle with food insecurity.
The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry has worked to alleviate hunger in the SCV since 1986. They serve families, elderly, disabled, homeless, and many more. Volunteers help organize food, drive and unload from trucks, and provide clerical assistance.
Animal shelters
The Gentle Barn is an animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, complete with horse and cow pasture, a barn, and gardens. They are a haven for over 200 animals to live in comfort and peace.
Castaic Animal Care Center cares for animals that need new homes. They mostly have cats and dogs, but also birds, livestock, or other animals that need fostering or adopting.
Hanks Legacy Foundation helps care for rescued cats and dogs, finding them foster and/or permanent homes. To better support their organization, they attend events to help share their work with others in the community. Their current need is to have a volunteer to chair these once-a-month events or aid in doing office work.
Schools/Coaching
The City of Santa Clarita Youth Sports offers sports to young people in the Santa Clarita Valley. Each season they look for coaches that can mentor youth in football, baseball, t-ball, basketball, volleyball, and other sports.
The Wish Foundation helps to "bridge the gap in state education funding” and support students in the William S. Hart Union High School District. They aid over 21,000 students. They are involved in campus wellness, STEM, literacy, and many other projects. Check out the fundraiser Wine on the Roof on April 27th as a way to support the foundation.
SCV Education Foundation works with the local public schools to support education and literacy. Their volunteer-based Read With Me program helps children strengthen their reading skills.
Environmental organizations
City of Clarita Community Hikes Trail Clean-Up and Open Space and Trail Maintenance can always use volunteers to help tidy the natural hiking trails of the area. If you love nature and enjoy our trails and green spaces, join a clean-up event to help care for them. Children age 12 and up can join in too.
Neighborhood Clean Up is another way to keep the Santa Clarita Valley looking great. Join other community members for trash and litter pick up on the streets, paseos, or sidewalks in the neighborhood of your choice. The next Clean Up event is April 29th, in celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Day. Receive a free bag of mulch in exchange for your help (while supplies last).
Trek Bike Park can use a bit of polish now and again. Grab your BMX-riding kiddo and help care for Santa Clarita’s awesome bike park. Ages 12 and up.
Hospitals/Medical Support
Circle of Hope is a nonprofit organization that provides “emotional, educational, and financial assistance along with supportive wellness therapies to the Santa Clarita Valley cancer community.” Support Circle of Hope by attending their Hoedown for Hope on May 25.
Michael Hoefflin Foundation works to support children with cancer and their families through emotional and financial aid. They love having volunteers help with donation solicitation, writing services, event planning, and marketing assistance.
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital loves volunteers at their hospital. There are several opportunities for those who want to help — guest ambassador, gift shop representative, patient support, emergency department, pet partners program, art for healing, and more. People must be able to commit to one four-hour shift one day per week.
Social/Community Organizations
The Finally Family Homes offer young adults the opportunity to team up with a Life Skills Coach. Volunteers will assist the young person with the self-paced life skills program they are engaged in.
Foster Youth Allies offers the opportunity to support young adults aging out of the foster care system and need mentoring as they transition to independence. Volunteers need to be able to commit to 8-10 hours per month with a mix of in-person and phone/text contact.
The Child and Family Center has been helping people in the SCV for 40 years. They offer mental health services for kids and teens, and support for people recovering from addiction and survivors of domestic abuse. Purchase a ticket for the Taste of the Town — a fundraiser on May 7th to support the center.
The Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita is an incredible resource for children of all ages. They offer several programs to care for, guide, and mentor youth. Volunteers can help with homework, coach basketball, teach classes or workshops, the arts, and more.
How to volunteer in the Santa Clarita Valley?
Many of us benefited from the help of others — a neighbor that taught us baseball, a mentor who helped us through calculus class, or a friend that brought soup when we were sick.
Volunteering is an opportunity to give back to your community, whether it is helping elders, families, youth, or your local neighborhoods and green spaces.
Volunteers build capacity and help organizations have greater community outreach. They save nonprofits and charities money and provide free assistance and skill so they can better serve their communities.
If you are interested in volunteering, there are five steps to take.
- Consider what causes you are passionate about and find local organizations that align with your interests.
- Look at the company’s website and fill out their online volunteer application or email them to inquire about the availability of volunteer positions.
- Make sure to learn what that company's needs are and any prerequisites they have for volunteers. Common prerequisites are an age or time commitment minimum. Sometimes they only need people who can provide specific skills such as clerical, fundraising, or grant writing.
- Be prepared to attend a volunteer training program. This may be a couple of hours or even days. Volunteers need to thoroughly learn about their role to be as helpful as possible.
- Once you are “hired” as a volunteer, block this time out on your calendar. Consistency is key to being a successful volunteer.
The Paseo Club is a social club that not only cares about fitness and health, but also cares about the Santa Clarita Valley community. Many of their staff and members are volunteers, and the club frequently teams up with local organizations to host their fundraisers.
If you would like to find a home away from home, the Paseo Club may be the place for you. Work out, swim, play tennis or pickleball, grab a drink at the clubhouse or a smoothie at the cafe, or relax with a soothing massage at our in-house spa. There is always something for everybody at the Paseo Club.
Check out the fitness calendar to see all the fitness classes, then schedule a tour to check out the facilities in person.
Here are three great articles to read about the Paseo Club.
- What is happening at the Paseo Club in April?
- What is TRX and Core class at the Paseo Club?
- Best summer camps in the Santa Clarita Valley (Updated for 2023)
